Burn
by idontknowmaybe
Summary: Chloe Beale needed a change. So when the perfect job opportunity came up in the same LA suburb that her best friend lived in she couldn't pass it up. Can you find yourself and the one when the town is caught up in a horrible nightmare? Multi Chapter Pitch Perfect Cast Rated M for adult themes, language, and events.
1. Chapter 1

Her lungs were burning as she pushed her limits. Running as fast as she could through the park. She took a deep breath in through her nose and pushed air out through her mouth as she tried her best to catch her breath, to get her muscles the oxygen it needed to keep going. She was all too familiar with the feeling of not being able to breath. It was one of her worst fears. No air. She blinked her eyes quickly at the images that flashed through her mind. Her job wasn't easy. It wasn't fun. It wasn't very safe but she loved it. Helping people. Saving them. She ran towards the danger. It was her first instinct. It always had been ever since she was a little girl. It was the family business and even though it cost her dad his life when she was 14, she knew that she would follow in his footsteps. She knew it was her calling. She smiled as she approached her favorite part of the running trail. It never failed to challenge her toward the end of her 6 mile run. She measured her steps and then leapt for the first large boulder landing on it with her left foot, pushing off and then landing firmly back on the ground with her right without breaking stride. Both of her hand's landed in front of her on the next large rock and she pushed herself over the top hurdling it with both feet flung to the side. She continued hoping expertly from one rock to the next as the burn in her legs began to be slightly painful and she struggled to maintain an even breath. Her head shot up at the familiar sound that began ringing through the air and like clockwork 20 seconds later the siren could be hear echoing through the park. Then she saw them, the lights and she knew she had to hustle. This wouldn't be the first time a call came in and she was on her morning run so she knew she had about 3 minutes to get to Roberts Drive where the truck would slow just enough for her to jump on, but it wouldn't stop. Truck 72 didn't stop for anyone. She broke into a sprint breathing when she could. She was cutting it close this time. The truck pulled along the street slowing as she rounded the corner out of the park. The side door flung open and she sprinted with everything she had left, jumping onto the step and grabbing the hand rail.

"Becaw!" Jesse said annoyingly as Beca sat back in her seat struggling to catch her breath. "Good run?"

She nodded as she kicked her tennis shoes off and slipped her feet into her black bunker boots. She pulled the thick grey trousers up over her running shorts and slipped the thick red suspenders over her shoulders. Beca turned and pulled her turnout coat off the hook that hung on the side of the inside of the truck. After slipping her arms in, she pulled the coat tight, clipping it together snuggly then fastening the Velcro it all the way down.

"2 minutes out" Came from the front of the cab.

Beca sat back now fully dressed and caught the helmet that was tossed to her from her best friend. She put it on her head and took the next two minutes to close her eyes and prepare herself to do whatever she needed to do to help the people. To save them. To not allow the fire to get them.

 **XxXxXx**

"I know I've said it like a thousand times since yesterday but I can't believe you're really here." Aubrey said as she placed the coffee cup down on the small round table that sat outside of a local coffee shop.

"You and me both" Chloe agreed setting her own cup down and easing into the chair. She slipped her sunglasses off the top of her head on over her eyes so the bright morning sun wouldn't bother her. "I can't believe I finally got that job."

"Of course you got it Chlo." Aubrey replied with a smile. "You are an amazing teacher."

"Yeah but Hidden Hills is one of the best private schools in the country. Teachers don't just leave a school like that. I was lucky." Chloe replied with a smile. She knew she had landed an amazing job working at a prestigious school doing what she loved. Teaching. And what made it even better was it was 20 minutes from her best friend since elementary school lived.

Aubrey smiled and sipped her coffee. She paused at the sound of a siren in the distance. The alarm got louder and louder as it approached. Then a honking horn blew and before she knew it the two trucks sped past them. "So what did you have planned for today?" Aubrey asked as the noise faded into the back ground.

"Unpacking and getting settled in I guess." Chloe answered. "You? Are you working today?"

"Nope. I took a couple of days off to get my best friend and new roomie settled." Aubrey grinned.

"Awes" Chloe said with a smile.

Aubrey's phone chimed quietly. The blonde looked down at the message that appeared on her screen.

"So Jessica is having a pool party this afternoon." Aubrey said looking up from her phone to Chloe. "Feel like going?"

"Who's Jessica?" Chloe asked.

"She's another ER nurse. She and I get a lot of the same shifts. She's really sweet and so is her roommate Ashley." Aubrey answered. "Nothing to crazy she said just some afternoon drinks and a low key cook out tonight."

"Yeah, okay" Chloe agreed. "Sounds like fun. What does Ashley do?"

"She's an administrative assistant at some big company downtown. They met in college and were roommates for a while until Jess got into nursing school." Aubrey explained. "You will like them. They are really nice and Jess is so tired of hearing me talk about you. She's ready to finally meet you."

"No pressure" Chloe smiled. She put her empty coffee cup down on the table and looked up at the clear sky and taking a deep relaxing breath. "I think I'll get used to southern California life really quick."

"You know who else is ready to meet you?" Aubrey teased.

Chloe's head dropped back down and met her friend's eyes. "Who?"

"Luke." Aubrey said with a wiggle of her eyebrow.

"I literally just moved here yesterday Bree." Chloe replied.

"So." Aubrey argued. "He is such a sweetheart Chlo. He's got this kind of bad boy vibe but he's really really sweet. And so hot."

"So if he's so great, why are you telling me? Why haven't you snatched him up for yourself?" Chloe asked.

Aubrey shrugged. "Not my type."

"And how did you meet this hot bad boy sweatheart?" Chloe asked.

"He's Jessica's brother."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I'm assuming that Jessica's brother will be at the low key pool party?"

"He'll probably be around" Aubrey replied as she turned her head pretending to be interested in something across the street.

 **XxXxXx**

"You okay?" Stacie asked as Beca took her helmet off followed by her oxygen mask. She lowered the tank on her back to the ground slowly.

"Yeah. How about the lady?" Beca asked.

"She's stable. We're going to take her in though." Stacie answered. She reached down for the radio that was attached to her hip as her partner CR's voice called in their patient.

"LAFD Ambulance 9 in route to UCLA Med with female, 47, smoke inhalation. Currently stable. 8 minutes out."

"Gotta go. See you back at the house" Stacie said before turning quickly to get into the passenger side of the ambulance.

"Yo B" Jesse called.

Beca turned around and made her way back towards the truck.

"Everything okay?" Jesse asked.

"Yeah, just checking on the lady. Stacie said she'd be fine but they are taking her in anyway." Beca explained.

"Nice save Bec." Jesse said with a pat to her back.

"Hey, you Squad asshole's wanna help us put out this fire?" Bumper yelled over his shoulder as he helped unravel the large hose from the truck. "Oh that's right, you guys aren't real fire fighters." He teased.

Beca raised her gloved hand and greeted him with her middle finger.

"Squad 61. The structure's roof is unstable. Let's get up there and assist it in coming down." The Chief's voice sounded over the megaphone.

"Come on" Beca said to her best friend. "Let's get back to work."

 **XxXxXx**

"It's so nice to finally meet you" Jessica said as she engulfed Chloe in a hug. "Bree has told me so much about you."

"It's nice to meet you as well" Chloe replied. She was a little taken by surprise by the show of affection from the blonde but forced herself to return the hug. "Thanks for inviting me."

"Are you kidding, we couldn't wait to have a party to celebrate you're moving here." Jessica revealed as she pulled out of the hug.

Chloe's eyes widened.

"Welcome to LA!" Jessica said happily.

"Remind me to kill Bree." Chloe whispered to no one in particular.

"Come on. You'll have fun." Jessica said as she pulled Chloe out of the house and out back towards the pool where Aubrey was standing with a few other girls.

"Girls" Jessica said loudly. The group turned to face the new redhead. "This is Aubrey's best friend Chloe Beale. She just moved here from Atlanta yesterday." Jessica stepped away from Chloe and Aubrey filled the space.

"Thanks a lot Bree." Chloe whispered to her best friend.

"I knew you would hate being the center of attention." Aubrey replied with a mumble.

"This is Flo, Emily, Kori, Greg and Donald." Jessica introduced her friends.

Chloe waived shyly in their direction. Aubrey was right, she did not want to be the center of attention. She much preferred to people watch, especially new people, until she got an idea of who they were. She used to be bubbly and out-going but that ended up in one to many broken hearts for Chloe's liking. She used to throw herself into relationships, to jump in with both feet so to speak but she often found that she lost herself in that process. She tried become more of what the other person was looking for instead of who she really was. Once she finally realized what she was doing and that it wasn't what she wanted, it became difficult to break out of those friendships. Those relationships. Many times it left her alone but she always had Aubrey to pull her back. So she made a decision to change. To be cautious. To protect herself. To play it safe.

"Come on" Aubrey's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Let's get a drink."

 **XxXxXx**

"Samantha Carpenter" Stacie said as she leaned on the door frame of Beca's small room.

The brunette looked up from her book. She was laying on her twin bed with her feet crossed and her head propped on a pillow.

"Samantha Carpenter, 47, 4895 South Wayside St.," Stacie said stepping just inside. She locked her hands behind her back and leaned against the wall. "Smoke inhalation."

Beca finally caught on.

"She's fine. Probably be released in a few hours."

Beca nodded and returned her eyes back to the page. "Thanks."

"How much longer are you on?" Stacie asked.

"Tonight till 8."

"You should come over. My neighbor is having a BBQ tonight for a co-workers friend who just moved to town or something like that." Stacie shook her head and rolled her eyes slightly, "It could be fun."

Beca shrugged.

"Come on Becs. You have what? Two days off before your back here?" Stacie asked.

Beca nodded.

"Let's have some fun. Have some drinks. Let off some steam. We've earned it." Stacie argued.

"Hey you out of here?" Cynthia Rose said poking her head in the room.

"Yeah. Just trying to get Beca to come out tonight." Stacie answered.

"Come on B. It will be fun." CR said with a smile. "You know how crazy Amy is."

"So you're roommate will be there too?" Beca asked looking at Stacie.

"Of course. Think about it." Stacie answered.

"Hey you ladies headed out?" Jesse said leaning in the doorway with his hands on each side of the frame.

"What is this Grand Central Station?" Beca mumbled.

"Yeah, thankfully." CR replied to Jesse. "You?"

"Few more hours and then 2 glorious days of sleep." Jesse answered with a boyish smile.

"You should come with Beca to my neighbor's pool party tonight." Stacie said brightly, knowing if Jesse knew about it he would surely drag is best friend with him.

"Ew, that weird old man next to you is having a pool party?" Jesse asked making a disgusted face.

"No. Idiot." Stacie replied. "My super-hot nurse next door neighbor." Stacie winked at him.

"Nurse?" Jesse asked. "Where?"

"UCLA. Emergency."

Jesse nodded. "Yeah, I think I remember her. She's got a friend, green scrubs, blonde, hot." Jesse recalled from his trip down to UCLA's Emergency room a few weeks ago to visit a fellow fire fighter.

"Just come over when you guys get off." Stacie said pushing off the wall and heading for the door.

Jesse stepped to the side. Stacie turned back toward the brunette who had been staring at the same line in the book ever since Stacie walked in.

"Lieutenant Mitchell" Stacie said before turning towards Jesse. "Swanson."

"Conrad" Jesse said with a smile.

"See you losers later." CR said patting Jesse on the shoulder and following Stacie out.

"Hold up Stace, give me a ride?" CR's voice carried down the hallway.

Jesse invited himself into Beca's room and sat at the foot of her twin bed. "So a party?"

 **XxXxXx**

"Mitchell" Chief Smith said knocking on her door just as Beca slid her leather jacket over her shoulders.

"Hey Chief" Beca greeted with a smile.

"Before you go, I just got word from division that we will be receiving a new trainee on Monday morning." Chief Smith looked down at the paperwork in his hand. "Benjamin Applebaum. He's interested in both Truck and Squad so you will be working with Allen on this one."

"Bumper's a dick chief." Beca replied as she slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"Maybe but he's part of this house." The Chief said authoritatively. "Just so you know, he doesn't like you very much either.

"What a shocker." Beca said sarcastically.

"Ready to go Becs?" Jesse said from behind Chief Smith.

She nodded.

"Enjoy your time off. See you in a few days." The Chief said excusing himself.

"Let's go meet some girls." Jesse said with a huge smile.

"Seriously Jesse. I just want to go home dude." Beca said as she walked out of her room and pulled the door closed. "We've been on for three days."

"And we have two days off. So let's go and meet Stacie's hot neighbor and have a good time. Please Becs?" He begged.

"You could just go by yourself." Beca supplied as he followed her out of Fire Station 72.

"I need a wingman." Jesse whined.

"Stacie will be there." Beca argued. "And CR."

"But they aren't you Becs please." Jesse begged again. "Just for a couple hours."

 **XxXxXx**

"So what do you do Chloe?" Stacie asked after having been introduced to the redhead by her neighbor.

"I'm a teacher. I'm starting at Hidden Hills in a couple of weeks." Chloe answered with a smile. She brought the red solo cup to her lips and took a drink.

"What grade or subject do you teach?" Stacie asked. "How does it even work these days?"

"I teach Art for all the lower grades and then I teach the older kids that are interested in taking it as an Elective." Chloe answered. "How about you? What do you do?" Chloe asked the tall brunette.

"I'm a paramedic." Stacie answered. "I'm assigned to Fire Station 72."

"Wow. That's, so do you know Bree?" Chloe asked.

"Bree?" Stacie asked.

Chloe turned and pointed to the blonde who was across the pool engrossed in conversation with Jessica.

"Um, kind of. I've seen her around the hospital and a couple times here but I don't really know her." Stacie answered with a smile.

"She's been trying to get me to move here for a couple of years now. But the timing never seemed quite right." Chloe said making small talk.

"And what makes the timing right now?" Stacie asked as she sipped her drink.

Chloe shrugged. "Well" She thought. "I've been in Atlanta since college and I guess it was time for a change. Then the school job became available and it felt like it all just fell into place."

"I see. So" Stacie said tired of small talk. "Is there a Mr. Beale?"

Chloe blushed slightly. She didn't love talking to strangers about her personal life but Stacie felt easy to talk to so for some reason she couldn't understand she answered. "No. There isn't. I guess that made moving out here easier too. I haven't been in a relationship with anyone for a couple years."

"Oh. Bad breakup?" Stacie asked.

"Um? At first, yes but then we eventually became friends." Chloe said with a smile thinking of Jake.

"So are you ready to get out there and mingle?" Stacie asked.

Chloe quirked an eyebrow, "Are you sure you don't know Aubrey? Did she put you up to this?"

"She put who up to what?" Aubrey's voice sounded behind her.

"Oh, Bree this is Stacie. She's Jessica's neighbor." Chloe said turning toward the tall brunette. "Stacie, this is my best friend Aubrey Posen."

"Hi." Stacie greeted.

Aubrey was about to answer when the roar of a motorcycle pulling up brought a smile to her face.

"Guess who Chlo" Aubrey said leaning down into Chloe's ear.

"You know Luke?" Stacie asked the redhead.

"No but Aubrey seems to think I should." Chloe replied with a small frown. She had been having a good time mingling and meeting new people while secretly hoping that Luke wouldn't show up. She wasn't looking forward to the pressure she knew Aubrey would put on the two of them to talk to each other. He pulled the gate to the back yard open and Chloe had to admit he was good looking. He was tall and built and had a great smile. The tattoos on his arms didn't bother her either but she wasn't ready. Jake broke her heart and although it was two years ago, she thought Jake could have been the one.

"Luke!" Jessica said streaking by them. She greeted her older brother with a hug and they exchanged some words before Jessica pulled him by the hand in their direction. "Luke, you remember Aubrey from the hospital. And you know Stacie" Jessica turned to Chloe. "And this is Chloe." Jessica said with a smile. Her hand gesture, while probably innocent, made Chloe feel as if she was being presented to him.

Luke smiled in all of the girls' direction before turning back to the redhead. "It's nice to meet you Chloe." He held his hand out towards her.

She politely took his hand in return. "Nice to meet you as well."

 **XxXxXx**

Beca pulled her Jeep up behind a motorcycle that was parked in between Stacie's and the house where she assumed the BBQ was being held. The scowl on her face caught Jesse's attention.

"What?" He asked.

Beca pointed to the motorcycle. "It's blocking the fire hydrant."

Jesse rolled his eyes. "Please Beca. For one night. Can you just be regular?"

"That's a little offensive." Beca replied quickly.

"Seriously Bec. Not even one night, just a couple of hours." He pleaded.

"That shit is against the law Jesse. If there were a fire" Beca stopped talking at the sound of her passenger door being slammed shut. She turned to watch him walk through the yard towards the back fence and the illuminated back yard. "Dick" she whispered as she looked back toward the motorcycle. She shook her head and reluctantly opened her door climbing out of the Jeep.

As she entered the yard she spotted Stacie and Jesse talking. "I can't believe you actually got her here." Stacie said as Beca approached.

"Me neither." Beca smirked.

"Well, well, well. Lt. Mitchell" CR said strolling over to the group. "Look at you out of the station and in civilian clothes. I almost didn't recognize you." She teased.

"Okay. I'm gonna go." Beca said quickly as she made a turn to leave.

"Whatever Becs. Let's get a drink." Jesse smiled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "We need to get on their level."

"One. Drink." Beca said as she felt herself being pulled in the direction of the table that was the bar for the evening.

"Sorry" She turned quickly to apologize to the redhead that she bumped into as Jesse continued to pull her through the crowd.

"So you're a teacher?" Luke asked making small talk. Bringing Chloe's attention back to him.

"Yes. I am. What about you?" Chloe asked feeling awkward. As soon as Luke arrived and was introduced to her, Stacie, Jessica and Aubrey each seemed to suddenly disappear and now she was left with Luke and the look on his face didn't exactly scream friendship to her. It made her a little uncomfortable.

"I'm a writer. Mostly freelance work, some short stories but I'm working on a murder mystery novel at the moment." He answered.

"Oh wow" Chloe answered hoping it sounded genuine when all she could think of was a way out of the conversation and possibly out of the party.

Beca smirked as she set her sights on the back of the blonde's head. "Hey Jesse, remember a couple months ago when we brought that guy in who got his hand caught in a meat grinder? Remember it was all mangled?"

Jesse nodded as he poured himself a drink.

"Remember that nurse that took one look and threw up everywhere?" She said her voice laced with sarcasm.

Aubrey's smile faded from her face as she turned around. "Okay, seriously it happened once." She replied angrily. "It was gross and I wasn't feeling good that day."

"Woah, calm down Aubrey. I won't want you to toss your cookies in the pool or anything." Beca teased.

"Everything okay here?" Jessica asked as she stepped up to the table.

Aubrey slowly pulled her eyes from the short brunette and towards her friend. "Yeah, it's great." She said as she smiled and left the table.

Beca couldn't help but laugh as Aubrey walked away. "If I would have known that Nurse Posen would have been here you wouldn't have had to drag me." She said sarcastically turning to Jesse.

"Maybe lay off her?" Jesse suggested.

"Wait, green scrubs, tall, hot?" She questioned him. "She's the one you have this massive crush on? She's the one you were talking about?" Beca's head fell back with laughter.

"Shut up." Jesse said quietly as he motioned with his hand for her to quiet down.

"This is awesome. Seriously. Thanks Jess. I so needed that laugh. Dude, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because of this" He gestured toward her. "I knew there was no way you would let me live it down."

"Relax." Beca said with an eye roll. "It's fine." She turned back toward the direction that Aubrey had marched away from them in. She was standing with a tall blonde guy and a redhead. "She's cute." Beca replied.

 **XxXxXx**

"Let's go" Aubrey whispered into Chloe's ear.

Not that she wasn't thankful for Aubrey's request but the sudden change in her friend's mood alarmed her. "What's wrong?" Chloe asked turning away from Luke and towards her friend.

"Nothing. I'm just tired and ready to get out of here." Aubrey tried to convince her.

Chloe followed Aubrey's eyes toward a small group that had gathered around a table. "Who are they?" Chloe smiled as the brunette laughed at something the guy said.

"Some of Stacie's friends, co-workers or whatever." She said scowling at Beca.

"Don't like them much?" Chloe asked.

"No, Stacie's nice and the guy I've met a few times. He seems really sweet." Aubrey said.

"And by the look on your face, the other girl you seem to hate." Chloe surmised.

"She's an asshole." Aubrey husked as Stacie approached them.

"Hey we're gonna go" Aubrey said quickly. "Could you tell Jessica?"

"Yeah, sure. What's the rush?" Stacie asked.

Chloe saw the opportunity to turn the tables on her best friend and she took it. "Bree doesn't like your friend."

"Who Jesse? He's harmless." Stacie said with a smile.

"No the girl." Chloe clarified.

"Beca?" Stacie asked.

Aubrey rolled her eyes.

"How do you know her?" Stacie asked.

"From the hospital." Aubrey answered quickly. "She" Aubrey began but stopped quickly remembering the day to clearly.

"So" Chloe glanced from Aubrey to Stacie. "They are paramedics too?"

"No, Jesse and Beca work for the fire department." Stacie answered.

"Oh." Chloe said sounding surprised.

"No" Aubrey said knowing what Chloe was thinking. "They work for LAFD but they are on the idiot squad."

"The what?" Stacie and Chloe asked at the same time.

Luke cleared his throat. "I'm going to go find my sister." He said angry that he had all but been forgotten about.

"The idiot Squad" Aubrey said again.

"No" Stacie said shaking her head. "They are on rescue squad."

"Same thing." Aubrey said as she made eye contact with Beca who put a hand over her mouth faking like she was going to throw up. "When members of LAFD come into the emergency room it's usually because they are members of idiot squad. They're reckless and dangerous."

"And brave. They save people." Stacie argued.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Let's go." She said loudly to Chloe.

* * *

 **AN: I wanted to try something completely different from my other stories. Problem is... I can't tell if this sucks or how bad it sucks. I guess I should have gotten a clue when I struggled to write the stupid summary... Oh well. Help me out. What do you think? Continue or just let this AU go?**


	2. Chapter 2

Her first day at work had been amazing. The kids were great. The teachers were great. Everything was great. Until 4:37pm. That's when she felt it. In her bones. The items she set up on her desk last week shook. Literally rattled. The picture of her with her parents that she had a stranger to take one night when they were eating dinner out at a nice restaurant. The water bottle that was sitting on a clay coaster that one of her favorite students in Atlanta made her as a going away present. They actually vibrated. She looked around curiously knowing there were other teachers in the building that must have also heard, felt, that. Then she heard the alarms. They sounded close but not close enough to be coming from her building. Tom, the math teacher who's room was next to hers leaned in the door quickly.

"What was that?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know but it's coming from the daycare across the street." Tom said as he walked to the window in Chloe's classroom.

She stood and joined him looking curiously across the street. Her hand flew over her mouth as she watched a front window to the building explode and smoke and flames began to flow out.

"Oh my God" She mumbled against her palm. She dropped her hand and looked at Tom who looked just as shocked. "There are kids in there" Chloe mumbled as she turned back to see flames begin to engulf the building.

"Come on" Tom called as he turned to run out of the classroom.

Chloe wasn't sure what it was but something propelled her feet and before she knew it she was outside, running across the street with a hand full of teachers. She could feel the heat on her face. Kids were running everywhere. Mostly crying but some were in shock and being pulled and lead out of the building by daycare workers. Mom's and Dad's in suits and business attire who were arriving to pick up their kids were frantically shouting their kids names. Some were lucky enough to find their kids. Some hadn't been so lucky.

"Chloe?"

Her name pulled herself out of her thoughts and back to the harsh reality she was in. She turned.

"What are you doing here?" Stacie asked with a hand on her shoulder.

Chloe felt people rushing by her. They were a blur. All she could see was the building. Stacie's hand on her bicep pulling her away got her attention again. "I work across the street. We heard an ex" Chloe paused as the word fell out of her mouth for the first time "explosion."

"Okay" Stacie said softly. She could see Chloe struggling with everything that was happening in front of her. "Can you help us? Settle the kids as they come out? I'm going to set up a triage area right over there and the kids that are okay, can you help watch them till their parents come?" Stacie asked.

Chloe wasn't sure why but she nodded yes.

"Hey!"

Chloe turned in the direction the shouting was coming from.

"What are you doing? You can't go in there!" Jesse yelled.

Chloe pulled Stacie to a halt. "Tom!" Chloe yelled for her co-worker.

Tom was being pulled from the building by Jesse.

"You know him?" Stacie asked.

"He's a teacher." Chloe answered quickly.

"Jesse!" Stacie yelled. Jesse turned towards the paramedic who was waiving him towards her.

Jesse drug the man over to Stacie and another woman.

"Jesse?" Beca's voice called over the radio Stacie had on her hip.

Chloe watched as Jesse pushed a place on his chest, close to his shoulder, and spoke. "Go for Jesse"

Stacie turned the nob of the radio down so that Chloe couldn't hear but she listened as Jesse responded handing Tom over to Stacie.

"Some dude was trying to run through the front door. What's your location?" Jesse asked as he began to walk away.

Stacie turned the radio back up a little so she could hear. She pointed to an area where other paramedics were checking out kids. That's the first time Chloe took to look around at her surroundings. There were ambulances lining the streets and paramedics tending to kids and workers. There were police cars everywhere with their lights blazing. There were parents being held back and firefighters all over the place. Some were just firing up hoses and pointing the water towards the building. Some were carrying kids out of the building.

"I have 7 kids and a teacher. They were trapped." Chloe heard over the radio and she saw Jesse break out into a run towards the building. "It's still pretty hot in here. I have a couple kids with pretty bad burns and one I think has a broken leg. They were in the middle classroom. I managed to get inside but the fire is surrounding us. Any word on getting hoses in here?"

"Roger that Mitchell. We are working on it but the building is unstable. We are trying to figure out how to get to it without the building crumbling around you. Are you secure?"

Chloe didn't know whose voice that was but it sounded authoritative.

"Negative. I need to get these kids out. It's too hot and there's too much smoke." A crash and some screams were heard over the radio and immediately Chloe watched a swarm of firemen run towards the building. Jesse was about to knock out the front door of the building with his axe when it finally blew knocking him off his feet and throwing him backwards through the air. Chloe watched it happened in what felt like slow motion as he landed on his back and instinctively covered his face as debris landed all over him.

"We're coming out. Northwest corner of the building." Beca's voice was heard and the firemen who weren't running that direction stopped and headed to where she instructed. Chloe saw Stacie run in Jesse's direction screaming for help from anyone. She couldn't watch anymore. 'How could this be happening' was the thought that was running through her head. "We need to help those kids" Chloe said to Tom. She grabbed his arm and pulled him in the area that Stacie had pointed to earlier. She needed to be busy doing things. She couldn't look at anymore burned kids being pulled from the building. She needed to pretend she was helping with a dismissal or something normal because this was not normal and she was losing it.

 **XxXxXx**

Before she realized it was almost dark. The sun was setting. She forced herself to pay attention to the kids to not turn back towards the building. She felt a small weight lift every time she handed a kid over to their parents. She watched them hug. She watched the parent's faces. They were relieved as they held their kids tight but their faces were pained. Pained for what could have happened to their kids. Pained for the parents that were being told bad news by the cops. A weird mixture of relief and pain.

"That's the last one." Tom said as she came up from behind her after re-uniting the last child with their parent.

Chloe allowed herself to turn back to the building for the first time since she saw Jesse be blown off his feet. "How did this happen?" She whispered as she started to cry.

She felt Tom grab her by the shoulders and turn her towards his chest wrapping his arms around her.

"Hey Chloe, are you okay?"

She pulled away from Tom and turned toward Stacie who looked tired. "Yeah. I'm okay" Chloe barely whispered.

"Are you sure? Do you need me to take you somewhere?" Stacie asked.

Chloe shook her head.

"I can take her home." Tom offered.

"Stace?" A voice called. Chloe recognized it from the radio.

Stacie, Chloe and Tom turned towards the source of the voice.

"How's Jesse?" Beca asked. She was in her trousers and boots but her coat was off. Her red suspenders hung down and Chloe noticed that she was hot. Like she could see the steam radiating off of her.

"He's okay. CR will bring him back to the house tonight. Nothing's broken. Just pretty bruised up from where the door flew off and hit him." Stacie answered. "How about you? Do you want to go in a get checked out?"

"No. I'm okay." Beca answered as she came to a stop in front of them. She recognized the redhead. She'd seen her before.

"You're bleeding." Stacie said taking a step towards Beca.

Beca pushed her hand away insisting, "I'm fine."

Stacie turned back towards the teachers, "Beca this is Chloe and?" Stacie paused not knowing the man's name.

"Tom" He supplied.

"They teach across the street and I asked them to help get all the kids situated as they were coming out." Stacie explained.

"Hi. Thanks for helping out." Beca said to the two teachers. She watched as Tom put his arm around Chloe's shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

Chloe was lost. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know why but she was tongue tied by the brunette. She barely registered that Tom's arm was around her. "I'm just glad that you're" She corrected herself, "that everyone is okay."

Beca smiled and Chloe melted a little bit. Chloe noticed her face was covered with a mixture dried blood, sweat and soot. But when she smiled, even ever so slightly, Chloe noticed her red lips and bright smile. How could all of that exist at the same time. Chloe shook the thought from her mind as the two brunettes began talking again.

"We are finished here." Beca said. "Headed back to the house?"

Stacie nodded.

"Need a ride?" Beca asked.

"I'm gonna make sure she's okay" Stacie pointed over her shoulder to the redhead who stood uncommonly still. Statue like in Tom's embrace. "I'll catch a ride from another unit."

"Yeah, okay" Beca agreed. She cleared her throat and Chloe's eyes were on her in a second. She hadn't seen their color before now. Now they were focused on her and they were the bluest thing that Beca had ever remembered seeing. "Thanks for all of your help today Chloe."

Chloe nodded.

"And Tom" Beca added.

"Okay. See you soon." Stacie said breaking up their moment. Beca backed away and towards the firetruck.

 **XxXxXx**

It had been a weird first week of school, to say the least. But it was finally over. It was finally Saturday. Aubrey was working a double at the hospital and hadn't been home since yesterday right at Chloe was walking in from school. This morning she got up, went for a jog to hoping to elevate some stress and was now standing in line at the coffee shop Bree had brought her to the day after she moved. The local paper caught her eye as she stood at the counter. _'Accident or Arson'_ the headline read. It had a picture of the daycare right underneath it. Chloe grabbed the paper and paid for it and her coffee. She made her way through the line to the table that she and Aubrey had sat at previously. She was half way through the article when she noticed shoes standing just to her right. She looked up slowly, the navy pants, black belt, white button up short sleeve shirt. She took notice of the logo right side of the chest. It was a standard fireman's shield with symbols and pictures. On the left chest she noticed the name. Lt. Mitchell.

Beca stood in front of her with her hands in her pockets watching Chloe read the newspaper. "Hi. Chloe right?" Beca asked as Chloe finally looked up at her.

"Yeah." Chloe answered slowly.

"Beca" Beca said as she pulled a hand out of her pocket and pointed back towards herself.

"Yeah, Hi." Chloe perked up trying not to seem weird. She knew she was failing miserably. "What are you doing here?" Chloe asked. As soon as the words left her mouth she knew she was an idiot.

Beca smiled. "Coffee run. You can only drink so much crappy firehouse coffee before you need the real thing."

Chloe saw Beca look down at the article she was reading. She followed her gaze their before looking back up quickly. "Was this on purpose?" She asked.

Beca frowned slightly. "I don't know. Maybe. Seems as if Lucas Bowers thinks it might be." Beca said reading the author of the newspaper article's name.

"Do you think it was?" Chloe asked looking at her with bright blue eyes.

"I don't know. I hope not." Beca answered softly.

"Who would want to hurt little kids?" Chloe asked.

"The water heater blew up." Beca said quickly. "It exploded and the gas from the leaking lines is what ignited. It was probably an accident."

"Yeah." Chloe said looking back down at the article that had explained as much. "But the owner of the daycare said the water heater was just a few months old."

"I don't know, sometimes things like that happen. Maybe the owner is just covering his ass." Beca said looking away and back at the line. "Anyway, I just wanted to say hi and thank you again for your help that day." Beca said sliding her hand back in her pocket.

"Thank you for" Chloe stumbled, "everything you do." She shook her head at herself.

"Yeah. Okay, well I'll see you around maybe" Beca said with a cute smile. "Oh, tell your boyfriend thanks again." Beca.

"Boyfriend?" Chloe questioned but Beca had already made her way to the door and was out of ear shot.

Chloe continued reading the article where she had left off. Reading through conspiracy theories offered by the author of the article. Unfortunate accident was covered, then the maintenance schedule of the machine, then the owner lying to cover himself and finally arson. What if the water heater was tampered with to fail? On purpose. Chloe sat reading the words over and over again trying to imagine the type of person who could possibly want to put kids in danger. To hurt innocent kids. She noticed the door to the coffee shop open and Beca walked out with a coffee in one hand and two coffee carriers filled with four more each stacked on top of each other in her left hand.

"I don't have a boyfriend" Chloe said timing it perfectly as Beca walked by.

"You don't?" Beca stopped and asked. "I thought that guy at the daycare was, you know." Beca shrugged.

"No. Co-worker." Chloe answered plainly.

"Oh. Okay. Well I'm sorry for assuming." Beca said as she turned to look in the direction she needed to walk. "I'm gonna" She pointed with her head.

"Do you want some help with that?" Chloe asked pointing to the coffee trays she was carrying.

"Um" Beca contemplated.

"Here let me" Chloe said as she stood and took the top tray off carefully. "Where are you parked?" She asked.

"I walked."

"You walked?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, the house is only 3 blocks that way." Beca said turning towards the street she needed to walk down.

"Your house?" Chloe asked.

"The station. Firehouse." Beca replied. "We just call it the house. It's not my house." She rolled her eyes as she rambled.

"You don't live there?" Chloe asked. "Sorry, for all the questions. I've never met a fireman before." She stopped and looked at Beca with big eyes, "Firewoman. Lady fireman? I don't even know what to call you."

"Firefighter" Beca clarified with a smile.

"Firefighter." Chloe repeated with a slight head nod.

"And no. I don't live there. I live in an apartment. It's called the house because when we are working we do live there. We eat there, shower there and all the firefighters and paramedics we are all like brothers and sisters. We're family." Beca explained with a smile as she thought about all her friends.

"How many hours do you have to work or whatever?" Chloe asked as they continued walking towards 72.

"It's usually three days on and then two off." Beca answered. "Sometimes you get lucky and get a two on and three off but those are pretty rare."

"So are you like in charge?"

"No." Beca answered with a laugh.

"Sorry. I don't know how it works." Chloe said a little embarrassed.

"We have a Chief and he's in charge of the house. He gets to handle all the administrative stuff with the Captain of the LAFD. When he's not there me and the other Lieutenant will supervise the house and the other firefighters. Chief will come out on calls and direct the scene but mostly he will leave stuff like that up to me and Bumper." Beca glanced over to Chloe to see her fully engrossed in what she was explaining so she continued. "Bumper is the other Lieutenant in our house. He rides Engine Company which means he leads the other firefighters in putting out fires. I'm on squad and we operate the Ladder Company and the Tactical Response Truck."

"Rescue squad" Chloe clarified.

"Um, yeah. Some people call us that."

"Stacie told me."

"Oh. I'll coordinate the rescue operation at different scenes. We can help with extinguishing a fire but our first responsibility is to reduce the number of casualties. We also take calls that don't involve fire. Car accidents. Car submersions. Impaling's. Building collapses. Chemical spills. Oh" Beca perked up, "I once did a rescue for a hiker who was trapped in Santa Monica Mountains. That was different."

"How long have you been a firefighter?" Chloe asked looking up to see the firehouse a few yards away.

"I joined the academy right out of high school so 8 years." Beca answered. "Thanks for helping me." She said as they stopped in front of the large door that was open. Chloe looked to see a huge garage with two firetrucks and an ambulance parked in it.

"It's about time."

Chloe and Beca turned to see a group of firefighters dressed like Beca come and claim the trays that they held in their hands.

"Do you want a tour of the house?" Beca asked turning back towards the redhead.

"Really?" Chloe perked up.

"Yeah, come on." Beca invited.

Chloe followed Beca into the large garage. She noticed how the space was clean and tidy and not only the trucks and the ambulances. The garage was spotless. Not one thing out of place.

"So this is my truck." Beca said as she pulled the latch on the door opening it for Chloe to see. I will always sit here. Those are my pants and boots and my jacket's always hung right there. When the call comes it, we all just head to the trucks and start getting ready. So I have my gloves and hood in the pockets of my coat and my helmet is always in my seat." Beca explained. "You can climb in." She said holding her hand for Chloe to take and help her step up into the truck.

Chloe looked around at how each firefighters gear as set up. "You always have it like this?" She asked as she climbed down.

"Yeah. You never know when you're gonna have to go so everyone will set it up the way they like it." Beca answered.

"Do you slide down a pole?" Chloe asked with an amused grin.

"No. Our house is one story." Beca answered with an equally big smile. "Come on."

Chloe followed Beca through a door and found herself in a large room with a large table and chairs surrounded all sides of it.

"That's the kitchen." Beca said pointing over towards the large commercial size kitchen.

"Do you cook?" Chloe asked.

"Not really. Right now our Probie cooks all our meals on shift." Beca answered. "And we all eat here. Lunch and Dinner mostly."

"What's a Probie?" Chloe asked.

"A probationary firefighter. He's new. His name is Benji and he's just out of the academy. He gets most of the shit jobs like keeping the garage clean and the equipment mounted and organized. Um, he will sometimes have to do laundry. Cook. Things like that all while learning how to be a firefighter. It sucks being a rookie. But we all go through it. But for the most part we all have different chores we have to do to keep the house clean."

Chloe continued to follow Beca, "we watch TV in here at night sometimes." Chloe looked in the room and kept going.

"Work out room. Locker room." Beca said and then rounded a corner, "And these are the dorms."

Chloe stopped when Beca stopped in front of a door. "This is my room."

Chloe stepped inside the small room. It had a small desk, a locker and a twin size bed. "It's small." Chloe whispered.

"Yeah. The other firefighters share a room with someone on an opposite shift but Lieutenants have a room to themselves."

"Fancy" Chloe teased.

"And that's about it." Beca said standing awkwardly in her room looking at the redhead.

"Walk me out?" Chloe asked. "I should be getting home."

"Is your car at the coffee shop?" Beca asked as she led Chloe out of the dorm area and back through the dining room.

"No. I actually was out running today and ended up there." Chloe explained.

"So where do you live?" Beca asked. "I mean you don't have to tell me I was just wondering how far it is."

"It's fine. I live on Canyon Run."

"That's like 8 miles from here." Beca said suddenly.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean I was just out running. Thinking. And before I knew it I was almost to the coffee shop." Chloe explained as the made their way outside the firehouse.

"Can I drive you home?" Beca asked. "It's the least I could do for you helping us at the daycare and for carrying those coffee's today."

"No. You're working. I'll be fine." Chloe said with a sweet smile.

"I'm off actually. I just ran out for coffee for the shift change. Let me grab my bag and I'll drive you home." Beca said again. "If that's okay."

"It would be great. Thanks." Chloe accepted.

Chloe waited a couple minutes outside while Beca ran back into the house. She had turned back to admire the architecture of the building when Beca ran back out. "Ready" The brunette asked with a back pack hung over her shoulder.

"Yeah." Chloe replied happily. She followed Beca over to a Jeep. She watched the brunette toss her back pack in the back seat and then climb up into the black wrangler.

"So" Beca said as she backed out of the parking lot and pulled onto the street. "You teach at Hidden Hills."

Chloe nodded.

"Are you from around here?" Beca asked.

"No, I just moved a few weeks ago actually. From Atlanta." Chloe answered.

"That's it." Beca said as the lightbulb went off. "I saw you at a party a few weeks ago. I couldn't place where I had seen you before."

"Um, yeah. I saw you there." Chloe admitted.

"Why did you leave Atlanta?" Beca asked as she drove.

"Just needed a change." Chloe answered simply.

"And how do you like it?" Beca asked as she turned onto Chloe's street.

"4th house of the left" Chloe instructed. "It's good. Monday was" Chloe searched for the appropriate word as Beca pulled into her driveway. "Hard. But LA is growing on me."

"Well, here you go."

"Thanks for the ride." Chloe smiled as she climbed out of the jeep. "And for the tour."

"Anytime." Beca smiled as she watched Chloe walk up to the door. The redhead waived just before unlocking the door and disappearing behind it.

* * *

 **AN: So, I don't know anything about firefighters or fire stations so I had to do some research. I hope this came out okay. I don't know why but I'm still unsure of this but I'm going to try and keep going. Your comments/thoughts/suggestions help a lot. Please comment ...**


	3. Chapter 3

Chloe sat on the couch. Her damp red hair pulled around her left shoulder. Her right knee was pulled to her chest as she held the small bottle of black nail polish in her left hand and the small brush in her right. She focused on perfectly painting each toenail when the front door opened.

Moments later Chloe held the brush in the air above her foot as she watched Aubrey begin to sit down on the couch next to her. Once she stopped bouncing she resumed her task.

"I'm so tired." Aubrey moaned.

"Rough shift?" Chloe asked not pulling her eyes from her right foot.

"Just long. I hate doubles." Aubrey laid her head back on the couch and closed her eyes. "What about you. How are you doing?"

"I'm good. I went for a run today and got some coffee." Chloe smiled as she remembered her run in with the brunette firefighter.

"Good." Aubrey said opening her right eye and tilting her head towards Chloe who was focused on her nails. "I need sleep" Aubrey moaned. "Hey, do you want to go to the beach tomorrow? It's supposed to be a nice day."

Chloe turned towards her best friend. "Yeah, if you want to." Chloe said with a smile.

Aubrey smiled as she began to stand slowly. She turned back to Chloe, "Oh, I invited Jessica and Luke over for dinner. We're cooking."

Chloe's head shot up.

"Don't look at me like that Chlo. Jess said he was into you. He's cute and available and you need to get out there." Aubrey argued.

Chloe scowled at her friend but returned to her task.

"What are you gonna do the rest of the day?" Aubrey asked with a yawn.

Chloe shrugged. "Don't know. Paint maybe?"

Aubrey smiled at her friend. "See you in a few hours." Aubrey said as she walked out of the room.

She finished her pinky toe and bent over even further to blow on the nails helping them dry while she screwed the brush back into the bottle. Chloe stretched out her right foot and wiggled her toes admiring her job. She held it there for a few seconds to allow the nails to fully dry before hanging her right leg over the couch and pulling her left to her chest to finish the job.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe pulled the oven door down and inhaled the delicious smells that floated out. She heard a knock at the door just as she shut the oven and checked the clock on the wall making a mental note of when dinner would be ready.

"That's them" Aubrey said from somewhere behind her. Last time Chloe had checked Aubrey was cutting up fresh vegetables for a salad and working on a glass of wine. Chloe had waited to begin drinking until she was sure dinner was almost ready and because she didn't want to be buzzed when company arrived. She figured there would be enough drinking when they got there, she didn't need or want a head start. Chloe was just turning from the sink after having washed her hands when their guests were being led into the kitchen.

"Hi" Jessica greeted happily. She held out both of her hands offering both bottles of wine to Chloe.

"Hey Jessica." Chloe greeted. She took the bottles and immediately felt herself being pulled into another hug from the happy blonde.

"Hi Chloe" Luke said as she pulled back from his sister.

"Hi Luke" Chloe replied. It already felt awkward to her.

"These are for you." He said extending his hand offering a bouquet of mixed flowers.

"Aww" Aubrey cooed from behind him.

"Thank you Luke, that was sweet of you." Chloe said as she graciously accepted the flowers.

Chloe turned to put the flowers in some water. She grabbed a vase from the cabinet and filled it with some water and then began to prepare the flowers to be transferred from their wrapping.

"Who wants a drink?" Aubrey asked the group.

Both Luke and Jessica accepted the offer at almost the same time. "The glasses are on the top shelf up there" Aubrey said as she pointed towards where Chloe stood with her back to them.

"Let me" Luke offered. He turned and pressed up against Chloe's back as he reached over her and opened the cabinet.

Chloe's hands flattened against the countertop as she felt him press her up against her. She stood motionless until he had grabbed three glasses and closed the cabinet removing himself from her. She sucked her lips into her mouth and went back to work putting the flowers in the vase.

"Here you go." Luke said to her softly as he stood next to her with a glass of red in his hand.

After the flowers were arranged, she turned towards the blonde man and accepted the glass from the stem. "Thank you." Her eyes glanced back toward the clock, it was only 10 minutes after 7. She couldn't shake the thought that it was going to be a long night.

"So how have you been?" He asked.

Chloe took a sip of the wine and lowered the glass slightly to answer. "Good. Um, busy you know. First week of school with the kids. It can be hectic sometimes."

"Oh that's right, you work at the school across from the daycare that caught on fire." Luke said quickly.

"Um, yes." Chloe answered hoping to not have to think about that again tonight. The sights were never too far from her mind. The things she saw, the burnt kids, the panic in their faces. Sometimes she saw them in her dreams at night. Those were hard nights to get through.

"Horrible" He whispered.

Chloe nodded.

"Can you believe it was on purpose?" He replied. Chloe's ears perked up. "And the worst part is the stupid cops don't have a clue. They think it was an accident." He said smugly.

"Wait" Chloe said quickly. "How do you know it wasn't an accident?" She asked now fully engaged in their conversation and looking at him intently.

He shrugged slightly, "I spoke with a couple of the responding firefighters, you know the ones who got a look at that hot water heater and they said safety shut off valve had been tampered with and it looked as if a seal was loosened on a gas line. So it was just a matter of time." Luke explained quickly as he drank from his wine glass. "It could have blown at any moment. It was just luck that the kids were in the building."

"Luck?" Chloe questioned.

He back peddled quickly looking remorseful of his words, "No. I'm sorry. That sounded horrible. Not luck. What happened to those kids was horrible. That was completely the wrong word."

"Yeah" Chloe whispered glancing at the clock. "Oh, hold on a sec" she placed her glass down and grabbed the oven mitt. Chloe pulled the oven door down and smiled as she saw the cheese bubbling. She pulled out the dish and set it on a trivet.

"Wow that looks so good." Luke said leaning over her shoulder.

"Oh good." Aubrey said as she walked back into the kitchen with Jessica behind her. "The table is set. Time to eat?" She asked looking at Chloe.

"Yep" Chloe said with a bright smile and proud of her Baked Spinach and Ricotta Roloto. Chloe picked her dish back up and followed the two blonde's into the dining room.

"Wow" She whispered. The room was dimly lit. Flames danced atop several candles that were placed on the table. The table was covered in a white table cloth with a black runner down the middle. Aubrey and Jessica had already layered white plates on top of black plates. "Looks nice."

"Thanks" Aubrey said as she pointed to the place designated for Chloe to set the food down. "Let's eat I'm starving."

"Here, allow me" Luke said to Chloe as he pulled out a chair for her to sit.

"Thanks" Chloe replied as she sat and folded her napkin across her lap. He sat her wine glass down in front of her and then walked around the table to sit directly across from her.

After everyone had served themselves and began eating Aubrey attempted to break the mood. "So, you're not seeing anyone are you Luke?"

He smiled, "No I'm not." Then turned to look at Chloe whose eyes were focused on her plate. "This is so good Chloe."

Chloe looked up. Her mind was back on their conversation in the kitchen. "Yeah, thanks."

"So if you're single is there anyone you have those gorgeous green eyes on?" Aubrey asked.

Luke uncharacteristically blushed and tried to keep his eyes from slipping in Chloe's direction but failed.

"I think there's someone" Jessica teased her brother.

"How do you know that stuff?" Chloe said looking back up from her plate.

"Well because he's my brother" Jessica answered quickly. "I know him pretty well"

"No" Chloe shook her head and turned to meet Luke's gaze. "What you said in the kitchen, how do you know all that stuff? About the fire?"

"I asked around." He answered.

"Why would you just randomly ask around?" Chloe asked.

"It wasn't that random actually. It was my job." He answered.

"You're job?" Chloe questioned. "I thought you were a writer or whatever."

"Yeah, he works freelance for the paper. I thought you knew that." Jessica answered her question.

"No" Chloe stumbled. "I mean yes I remember you said that you did freelance but I didn't realize you wrote for the paper."

"Lucas Bowers at your service" He said with his most charming smile.

His charismatic smile worked and Chloe couldn't fight the blush that crept up her neck. She hoped the candlelight hid it.

 **XxXxXx**

"I can't believe we have to go back to work tomorrow." Jesse said as he wound his right arm up and side armed a rock into the ocean. The cold water splashed up on his bare feet as they walked in the LA sun. "We should go somewhere. Like a real freaking vacation. Don't you ever just want to get away? To not have to worry about being woken up in the middle of the night. To worry if the next call will be your last? Or if you're best friend will die today?" He asked as he continued to look over the blue water.

"I like it here." Beca answered stoically.

"Of course you do. But really, we should get away. Take a break."

"Take a break?" Beca asked turning toward him. "From what? From life?"

"Life?" Jesse questioned. "What life Becs?"

Beca looked over at her friend who was looking intently at her.

"When was the last time I went on a date? When was the last time you went on a date? Just a date Becs, not even a real relationship. Because I don't even remember the last time I had a real relationship that lasted more than a couple of weeks. We work all the time. You're my best friend and I love you Becs I do. You're my sister and I'd die for you, you know that but I want someone to love. Someone to have a real relationship with. Maybe even one day a family. Hanging out with you is awesome, it is, but what if I want more? Don't you get tired of doing the same thing all the time?" He asked.

She shrugged.

"We work. We hang out at the house. We go off shift. We walk the beach. We get burgers at Sky's. We watch football or baseball or soccer on tv. We go to funerals. I mean seriously Beca, we've been to more funerals in the last two years than we've been on dates. Combined." Jesse looked to her for some sort of reaction. He didn't get one and his frustration was bubbling over. "Damn it say something" he demanded.

Beca steadied herself with a deep breath. The cool breeze blew her open blue and red flannel off of one of her shoulders. "When my dad died."

Jesse's shoulders slumped.

"My mother was heartbroken. She didn't eat. She didn't sleep. She barely functioned. I've seen what being in a relationship with someone like me. Someone who does what we do can do to the person who loves them. I've know what if feels like when someone you love doesn't come home. I watched my mom crumple to the floor as the Captain of the Los Angeles Fire Department told her that the man she loved was never coming home. I watched her fall apart." Beca explained patiently. "I don't ever want to be the source of that pain for anyone. So this is enough for me Jesse. Burgers at Sky's and football games and walks on the beach. Because you understand me. You know why I do what I do. You accept me for who I am. We both know that tomorrow we could get a call and it very well may be the last for one or both of us. So today I'm going to walk on this beach with my best friend in the world. With my brother. And not worry about tomorrow until tomorrow." Beca looked up at him. "This is enough for me but its okay if it's not enough for you."

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe turned over. She rested her head on her crossed arms. "Good that sun feels so good." She said softly almost moaning.

"I know right" Aubrey agreed. The blonde reached around and pulled the string around her back.

"What are you doing?" Chloe asked as she watched Aubrey pulled the strings off and lay them on either side of her.

"What? I'm trying to avoid tan lines." Aubrey answered. "And so should you."

Chloe scrunched her face. "What?"

"You and Luke looked pretty cozy last night." Aubrey teased. "That backless black dress in your closet will be perfect for your first date but you definitely won't want to have any tan lines."

"We weren't cozy" Chloe argued.

"You weren't?" Aubrey challenged.

"No. We were just talking."

"Right. Alone. Out back. Sitting awful close to each other." Aubrey teased with a smile.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "He's nice. And cute." Chloe admitted. "But just a friend."

"For now" Aubrey added. Chloe giggled. "It's okay Chloe. You like him. I can see it. When he asks you out just say yes."

"Maybe" Chloe breathed as she felt sun hot on her back.

Aubrey picked her head up looking over Chloe down the beach. "Eww"

"What?" Chloe questioned.

"Nothing." Aubrey said as she put her head back down and slipped her sunglasses on hoping that when Beca and Jesse walked by they wouldn't notice her and take the opportunity to make fun of her again. Not Jesse but Beca for sure.

Chloe flipped her head over in the direction that Aubrey was looking. She didn't recognize anything out of the ordinary. Just a shirtless guy in cargo shorts and a girl in a flannel, bikini top and rolled up jeans walking down the beach. When the girl looked up, Chloe's breath hitched. Beca. And Jesse. Or at least she thought thats what she remembered his name was. Chloe swallowed as she watched them. They were deep in conversation. Jesse was throwing something into the water. His abs were prominent and his chest was tight. He was clearly in amazing shape. Then her eyes floated to Beca. A breeze blew her shirt over one of her shoulders revealing more of her black bikini top. Chloe couldn't spot an ounce of fat on the brunette. Chloe raked her eyes down the brunette firefighter's abdominal muscles down to the waist of her jeans. They were a little baggie and had a few holes but cute and they were rolled up to just above her calf. Chloe had to close her eyes to lower her body temperature but all she could see was Beca standing in front of her with her red lips and white teeth covered in soot and ash. "Jesus" Chloe whispered to herself.

 **XxXxXx**

It was just after breakfast the first morning of their shift when the Chief's receptionist made her way into the dining room. "Lieutenant Mitchell and Lieutenant Allen, Chief Smith would like to see you both in his office."

"Probie" Bumper called out to the rookie who just sat down to eat his own breakfast after having made it for the house of 8 firefighters and 2 paramedics. "I'm done. Clean this up" He said as he pushed his plate forward on the table.

Benji shook his head affirmatively as he took a bite of his eggs.

"Now Probie." Bumper said loudly.

Benji jumped from his chair quickly and made his way around to Bumpers seat.

Bumper turned towards the other guys on Engine company, "Dummy drag drill till he pukes" Bumper ordered.

Beca stood as Benji made his way over to clear her plate. "It's cool Benji. I got it." Beca offered.

"No Lieutenant. I'll do it." He said as she gently pulled the plate from her hand.

Beca followed Bumper out of the dining room and down the hallway towards the chief's office.

"You don't have to be such a jackass to him." Beca said to the man in front of her.

"I don't really give a shit what you say or think Mitchell. He's a rookie. He has it easy compared to what I went through. If you want to be his mama you can but I refuse to baby him. If I do, it may get him or me killed one day." Bumper argued.

"Doing your fucking dishes isn't a critical part of training Allen. At least let the kid eat first."

"That's enough. Both of you" Chief Smith called as he stood just inside his office. He heard their exchange all the way down the hall.

"Chief" Bumper greeted and Beca echoed.

"Sit" He said pointing to the two chairs in front of his desk. They sat.

"I got a call yesterday from Dean Lewis at Hidden Hills Academy. She would like for us to come in and do a fire safety presentation for the student body. I think after the day care fire, it wouldn't be a bad idea. I told her we would also take the time to inspect the school to make sure everything is up to code and they have procedural plans in place in case of an event at their location." He explained.

"Great. So you're sending Squad?" Bumper asked.

"I want both you idiots there with both of your teams. We will do this for the school and for anyone in this community who needs us. Do you both understand?" Chief Smith asked.

"Yes sir" Beca and Bumper said in unison.

"Good. Then get your company's together. Bumper, I want Engine and Ladder trucks there. Your team will show how we suit up and how we extinguish a fire. Mitchell" he said turning his attention to her. "I want your team to demo what the kids should do if they are ever in a fire and how we look for people. Let's bring the Tactical Truck so they understand what types of things your unit will respond to. I want paramedic staff there as well. Conrad and Dean in Ambulance 9."

"Yes sir."

"And you will both coordinate together to check the school's procedures and the structure. If you identify any deficiencies let me know so I can relay them to Dean Lewis. Allen get to the storage unit and get House 72 t-shirts to pass out to the teachers and kids. I'm heading downtown to pick up plastic helmets and badges. I want these kids to love the fire department by the time you leave. Any questions?" He asked.

"No sir" they said in unison again.

"They are expecting you tomorrow at 9am. Barring any emergency your teams will spend the day with the kids. Dismissed."

 **XxXxXx**

"Logan, have a seat please." Chloe said with a gentle smile. The 4th grader was on the first row of the bleachers on the football field. He was mesmerized by the 2 bright red fire trucks that were parked facing each other in the middle of the field as he stood on his tip toes looking over the railing that was just under his eye level. At Chloe's requested he slowly backed away and returned to his seat on the aluminum bench. Chloe watched as the older kids continued to climb the bleachers shuffling down the narrow isles finding a seat. She glanced at her watch. 8:54 am. Then she turned to her left and looked toward the football field. Her eyes immediately found a familiar figure. Beca.

"Hey, how's the first half of your week going?" Tom asked her as he approached the small group of teachers that were gathered on the field at the bottom of the bleachers.

Chloe turned back towards the dark haired man with a smile. "Its good. Yours?" She asked politely.

"Good. Better now" He flirted.

Chloe giggled and turned back towards the field. Beca was standing with a couple of other people on squad. The only reason Chloe knew that is because it was written across the back of their t-shirts.

"Ready for this?" Tom asked. Chloe turned back towards him again.

"Yeah, I think it will be good for the kids. Like Dean Lewis said, yes it's a scary situation to be in but at least this will help prepare the kids for what to expect if it happens to them." Chloe said recalling the email that went out late Monday after school had been dismissed for the day.

Chloe jumped at the two quick loud sounds of the siren from one of the trucks ringing through the air. Her hand flew over her chest as she tried to catch her breath.

"You okay?" Tom asked with a smile. He placed a hand lightly on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze before lowering it back down to his side.

"What?" Bumper mouthed to Beca who was staring straight at him.

She pressed the small box that was attached to her t-shirt and spoke. "Was that necessary?"

Bumper smiled from across the field as he stood in front of the Engine truck. He pressed his button to talk back to her. "What? Just needed to get the little shit's attention so we can get the hell out of here."

"Miss Beale. Mr. Evans"

Chloe and Tom turned to greet Dean Lewis. "Good morning" the dark haired middle aged woman said to them with a smile.

"Good morning Dean Lewis" Chloe replied with a smile and Tom quickly followed.

"Let's get this started shall we?" Dean Lewis said with a familiar smile as an office worker walked over and handed her a microphone. She turned away from the group of teachers and walked to the middle of the field.

"Good morning everyone" Dean Lewis said into the microphone standing in the middle of the field with the trucks parked behind her.

She waited as 'good morning' echoed back at her from the student body.

"This morning we have very special guests with us. I would like to introduce you all to the ladies and gentleman that make up Fire Station 72. Today they are going to be showing us a multitude of things including the gear they wear to keep them safe when they are fighting fires. They will show us the tools they keep on their trucks to help them put fires out as well as the tools they use to help get us out of a fire. They will show us what to do in case of fire and what we can do to help them find us and get us out of harm's way. It is very important that we pay close attention and ask questions when prompted by these fine men and women. We also have two of the paramedics from the station to show us the ambulance and all the things they keep in there to help in case we ever become injured or sick and need their help. First we will all listen as they explain what we should do if we ever find ourselves in a fire and after a short demonstration, we will break up into several groups and you will be able to come down to the field level and speak with the fire fighters and ask questions." Dean Lewis smiled and then turned around to hand the microphone off to the waiting Lieutenant.

Chloe watched Beca slowly walked up behind Dean Lewis as she spoke to the kids explaining what the day held for them. Her mouth dropped open when Dean Lewis turned to hand Beca the microphone and as Beca accepted it, Chloe saw and heard her say, "Thanks mom."

* * *

 **AN: I'm still working on some character development but there will be some more action coming up soon. I'm really hoping it's not boring. Thanks to everyone who's reading and to those of you who have left msg and review ... thank you, thank you, thank you. It's pushed me to keep going. So what do you think of this development?**


	4. Chapter 4

It was after lunch that Chloe had made it to Beca's demonstration with her assigned group of 5th graders. She had already watched the firefighters of Engine company show the kids how they got dressed from head to toe when they were getting ready to go to a scene. Chloe had to admit it was fascinating to her and the kids were having a blast. They were able to participate in a race to see who could get dressed in the oversize firefighter clothes the fastest and they each had a turn to try and drag a dummy as far as they could. They got to hold a hose and feel how powerful the water was when it was being sprayed and they got to climb up in the truck and take pictures with all the firefighters.

Her group also had visited Stacie and her partner Cynthia Rose in the ambulance. The kids learned about all the supplies they had stored on the ambulance and how it was used. Stacie and Cynthia Rose wrapped up each kid with fake injuries. Some had broken arms in slings, a kid's had requested to have a leg wrapped and a couple others had their heads wrapped with gauze. The picture the group of kids took with the paramedics wrapped up with their fake injuries was Chloe's favorite of the day so far but she was excited to see what Rescue Squad was all about.

Beca watched as Chloe's group of kids began making their way toward her station. She didn't know why but she had bee looking forward to seeing the redhead all day.

"What's wrong with you?" Jesse's voice asked pulling Beca's eyes from the direction Chloe's group was coming from.

"Nothing" She answered.

"You're being weird" He teased.

"I'm not being weird" Beca argued.

"You totally are." He laughed. "And now you're blushing."

Beca turned away from him and busied herself with the tools on the truck putting them back so they could show the next group. She chanced a look back in Chloe's direction. A feeling washed over her that she wasn't completely sure about. The guy she thought was Chloe's boyfriend had stopped her group and was talking to her. Beca could see his own group of kids getting bored standing behind him. Her eyes immediately went back to Chloe who was smiling and laughing at whatever he had just said to her. She shook her head and turned away when she saw Chloe's hand come up and rest on the tall man's forearm. Beca felt stupid. She didn't know why but she found herself thinking about the woman she officially met at the coffee shop and now she felt stupid for letting herself think about this woman. She went back to tidying up the truck working on calming herself and trying to shake off the weird feeling she was experiencing. Was it jealousy? Beca asked herself internally and then shook the thoughts from her head as she heard the whispers of little kids right behind her.

"Hey guys!" Jesse greeted the kids happily. "My name is Jesse and this is" he turned towards the other members of squad, "Jeremy, Theo, Dax and Beca." He pointed to individual members of the team who waived in the kids direction and Beca turned around when her name was called. "And we are members of the Squad and ride on the Ladder truck."

One of the kids hand shot up quickly and Jesse was eager to call on the boy. "What's squad?"

"Well, we are in charge of search and rescue at all different kinds of building fires or accidents." Jesse said slowly. "If you're in danger one of us will do our very best to save you."

The same boy's hand shot up quickly.

Beca smirked. This kid was going to give Jesse a run for his money.

"Do you save everyone?" The boy asked.

Chloe's smile faded. At least two kids had died in the daycare fire. One of them was one that Beca had pulled out. Aubrey told her that he passed away at the hospital. His tiny body was covered with serious burns and he had inhaled way too much smoke for his small lungs.

Beca knelt down in front of the boy. "What's your name?" She asked from a knee.

"Harry"

"Well Harry, my name is Beca and I promise you that if you are in danger I will do whatever it takes to save you. And so will all my friends." She said pointed to the guys who stood behind her. The all nodded affirmatively.

"Mr. Bumper said that fires kill people." Harry said sheepishly.

Beca looked up to Chloe who blinked slowly confirming that what Harry said was true. She didn't know why she looked to Chloe and didn't have too much time to think about it when her eyes moved quickly back to Harry's. "Mr. Bumper is a di"

"Did you know that we can cut a car in half?" Jesse said quickly. "That's right." He said as he quickly walked over to the tactical response truck and pulled the large steel cutters from the side of it. "These babies right here are called the jaws of life." He showed the kids. Harry's attention was now 100% on what Jesse was showing them.

Beca stood up from her kneeling position and watched Jesse as he demonstrated how they worked by cutting a car hood in half. After he was finished, it was Beca's turn to speak again.

"Okay so I know you guys have seen all the stuff we have to wear when we go to fires to keep us from getting burned. It's a lot of stuff right?" She asked and the kids nodded. "Did you guys get to put it on?" The kids nodded again. "Do you think it's hard to talk to each other with all of that stuff on?" She asked and the kids nodded again. "It is and so that's why were wear these communication devices." She said as she pointed to the one she and the other members of Squad were wearing. "Who wants to try it?" She asked knowing most of the kids would gladly volunteer and every single one of them did. "Good thing we brought extras." She said as each firefighter paired off with a kid and began to put the equipment on. "So this part goes around your throat right here like this so that it doesn't interfere with our oxygen masks. It's very powerful and can pick up what we say when we are in a loud room or even when we whisper. This little part" She pulled the ear piece up and placed in her Harry's ear "goes in your ear so that you can hear what everyone else is saying. And this" She pulled the push to talk box and clipped it on his shirt by his shoulder. "When you want to talk you push this button." She stood up after he was fitted with the comms and looked to see that most of the other kids were ready to go as well. "Okay, we all of these are on the same frequency so that we can all hear each other. Sometimes everyone is trying to talk at the same time and it's hard to tell your friends voices from the others so when we talk we have to push the button and hold it down. If I'm trying to talk to Jesse I will say his name once and wait 10 seconds for him to answer." She pushed her button and spoke. "Jesse" and the all turned to look at the brunette man.

"Go for Jesse" he replied.

"And that's how he will answer." Beca said with a smile. "You guys want to try?"

All the kids said yes loudly. Some hit their buttons and said it loudly over comms. Squad members had been hearing it all day so they weren't surprised that it happened again.

"Okay, You can go anywhere on the football field as long as Miss. Beale" Beca looked over at the redhead who was looking at her intently "can see you. And then we can talk to each other. Okay?" she asked and they nodded. "Go" she shooed them away with her hands and the 10 year olds took off in all directions. The chatter over the radio became too much to listen to so Beca pulled her earpiece out and let it hang down.

"Thank you for doing this today" Chloe said as she stood next to Beca.

Beca shrugged as she watched the kids running around having fun. "We didn't have much of a choice." She internally cringed at how rude she sounded.

"Because Dean Lewis is your mother?" Chloe asked.

Beca turned toward the redhead. "No, because community service is part of our job."

Chloe was a little unsettled by Beca's abruptness. Apparently her mother was a sore subject and just as she was about to apologize the sound of the ambulance siren in 2 short bursts and then one long burst got everyone's attention. Beca reached up and turned a nob on her radio. "Go for Mitchell" she said sounding authoritative.

"MVA on Adelaide. Requesting Ambulance 9 and Squad 62" Cynthia Rose said relaying the dispatchers call for help.

Chloe watched as Beca turned back toward the other members of squad and held her arm up in the air circling her finger a few times and everyone began to move packing up quickly and climbing into the Tactical Response Truck. Jesse must have called all the kids back because Chloe's group began running towards her.

"Copy that. Squad 62 responding." Chloe heard Beca say as she walked away and hopped in the truck just as it began to pull away.

The kids gathered around Chloe, "Okay guys let's get those fancy radio's back so we can give them to the firefighters."

"Where did they go?" Harry asked.

"Someone needed them so they had to leave to go save people." Chloe explained suddenly feeling nervous for Beca hoping that whatever the nature of the call was wouldn't put her in danger. Her feelings for the brunette were confusing her. She barely knew her but yet she was in her thoughts daily.

"Hi" a young man said as he ran up to the group. "I can take those."

"Thank you" Chloe said to him remembering him as Benji the new guy. As the kids each handed their borrowed devices over Chloe couldn't help but ask subtly. "What happened?"

"MVA" Benji answered. The look on Chloe's face immediately told him she didn't understand. "Car accident."

"Oh" Chloe nodded. "Thank you Benji."

"Your welcome ma'am" he said with a smile.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe had been to the coffee shop every morning before school for the rest of the week. She rationalized it was because they had really good coffee but deep down she wasn't ready to admit that the possibility of running into Beca is what drove her religiously to pick up a latte every morning even though it wasn't exactly on her way to school. Today was Saturday and Chloe had hope that this would be the day she would run into the firefighter. She was just about to open the door to start out on her run that would hopefully lead her to Beca when Aubrey called after her. Chloe pulled an earbud from her ear and turned back towards her best friend.

"Where are you going?" Aubrey asked.

"Running" Chloe said looking down at her attire. She thought it would have been obvious.

"When will you be back?" Aubrey asked.

"11 or 12" Chloe replied. "Why?"

"You were asleep when I got in last night so I didn't get a chance to tell you that Jessica invited us to go play paint ball today. I told her we would meet her at her house around 10:30." Aubrey said with a hopeful smile. "Come it will be fun. Please?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe made Aubrey drive by the coffee shop on their way to Jessica's house but much to her disappoint Beca wasn't there. Chloe sat quietly in the car hoping that she would get a chance to see Beca soon and then trying to figure out why she wanted to see the woman so badly. She couldn't place her finger on whatever it was about Beca that captivated her but it was something and Chloe was lost in her own thought when they finally arrived at Jessica's house. She immediately perked up as Aubrey pulled along the curb behind a Jeep she instantly recognized. Chloe got out of the car and waited for Aubrey who walked around to join her. The roar of a motorcycle cut through the air and Chloe watched as Luke pulled up behind Aubrey's car. And immediately Jessica, her roommate Ashley and who Chloe remembered as Flo can out of Jessica's house. "Alright team!" Jessica said happily. "Ready to kick some ass?"

"Team?" Aubrey asked. "Who are we playing against?"

Luke approached Chloe from behind and wrapped his arms around her shoulders as he stood behind her pulling her back to his front.

Jessica pointed over her shoulder at Stacie's house. Chloe fought the smile on her face because she knew Beca was in that house. Jessica ran over to Stacie house and pounded on the front door. "Let's go losers!" Jessica called.

Several people filed out of Stacie's house. Beca included.

The two groups of friends gathered in front of their houses. Making introductions around the circle.

"I don't think you've ever met my roommate Amy" Stacie said to Chloe and our friend "Lily."

Chloe stepped out of Luke's hold to shake Amy and Lily's hand.

"Nice to meet you ginger" Amy said with a thick Australian accent. "Okay so let's get this show on the road Amy announced with a pat to her stomach.

"Well I can only carry three in my car" Jessica announced.

"Chloe can ride with me" Luke offered quickly.

Jesse glanced over at Beca quickly. Her reaction to Luke offering to take Chloe on his motorcycle only confirmed his suspicions that Beca was indeed crushing on the redheaded art teacher. Beca quickly glanced away from the group as she felt Jesse's eyes on her.

"What do you say Chloe?" Luke asked smiling at her.

Chloe stood looking from Luke who had that ridiculously charming smile on his face and Aubrey who was nodding her head at her. She didn't really want to ride on the motorcycle. She had been on a few and she didn't particularly like them.

"Really? I just assumed you would be taking my sexy fat ass." Amy piped up loudly.

Luke looked back over to Chloe. "Don't let that happen."

Beca turned away from the exchange and toward her Jeep.

Stacie called her that morning to beg her to come over to play paintball against her neighbors and of course Beca had declined a couple of times but when she found out that Chloe was going to be there, she had to figure out a way to make Stacie ask her a few more times before she faked giving in. She was secretly excited to see the redhead again but now all she wanted to do was go back home and watch TV till it was time for her to report to work the next day.

"What's wrong Bec" Jesse asked as he, Stacie and CR climbed into her Jeep.

She didn't answer, she just tried to hide behind her sunglasses as she watch Luke put a helmet on Chloe and stroke some hair out of her face.

"You like that girl." Jesse teased. "Just admit it."

"Wait, what girl?" Stacie said leaning up from the back seat.

Amy blew her car horn as she pulled out of the driveway before speeding off down the street. Lily hung out of the window giving them the middle finger as the car disappeared.

"They do know we are on the same team right?" Jesse asked watching Lily.

"What girl?" Stacie asked again.

"No girl." Beca answered. "Jesse's just being a jerk."

Stacie looked to Jesse who had turned around to mouth Chloe's name. Stacie sat back in the seat with her arms crossed over her chest just as Beca put the Jeep in drive and tried to catch up with Amy and Lily.

"Ready babe?" Luke asked as he fastened the strap of the helmet under Chloe's chin.

She nodded apprehensively. Luke climbed on and straightened up the bike holding it still as Chloe cautiously climbed on the back. "Hold on tight." He instructed as Chloe leaned forward and loose wrapped her arms around his stomach. Luke smiled mischievously to himself as he shifted with the foot peddle and accelerated. Chloe tightened her grip holding on for dear life as he sped away. She closed her eyes tight and wished they were there already.

 **XxXxXx**

"Ssshhh Chloe" Aubrey whisper shouted as Chloe squealed trying to hide behind some kind of barrel that had already been littered with hundreds of different colored paint balls. "Get over here" Aubrey instructed holding her paint ball gun in one hand and waiving frantically with the other. Chloe couldn't contain her high pitched scream as she held her gun loosely in her right hand as she ran frantically to where Aubrey was hiding behind a stack of tires. "We need to get to that bus" Aubrey said pointing over her shoulder as she sat behind the tires. Chloe slowly looked over the structure to the white school bus that was parked at part of the course about 25 yards from where they were. Chloe crouched down quickly when a few paint balls whizzed by her head.

Beca rounded the corner quickly as she ran as low to the ground as she could, her gun held in front of you ready to take out anyone on the yellow team. She saw Stacie peaking around a wooden structure and decided it was a good time for a break. Beca turned and hit the wood with her back making a thud. Stacie turned and smiled through her facemask then slumped down next to her friend. "Get anyone?" Stacie asked.

"Flo" Beca answered with a tight lipped smile. She snuck up on her just as she was about to shoot Amy who sat eating a breakfast burrito that she and Lily had apparently stopped to pick up on the way.

"Where is everyone?" Stacie asked.

Beca took a second to look over her shoulder towards the large school bus that held the 'hostage' that both groups were after. "Jesse's over there somewhere, no doubt stalking Aubrey Pukesen. I think CR is out. Last I saw Officer Patricia," Beca rolled her eyes, she couldn't believe Amy was a cop, "she was eating breakfast by those bunkers and I haven't seen Lily since we started."

"And?" Stacie asked.

Beca looked at her confused. "And what?"

"Chloe?" Stacie asked quietly.

"Why would I have any idea where Chloe is?" Beca scoffed.

"Because she's your teenage dream." Stacie teased hoping not to sound jealous.

Beca was glad she decided against the see through facemask and opted to wear her team's blue colored bandana tied behind her head and draping over her nose bandit style, so that Stacie couldn't see the blush in her cheeks that she felt.

"Cut it out Conrad. We are barely even friends." Beca said then hushed her tall friend with a finger to her mouth. Beca prepared herself to pop up quickly over the structure. She was face to face with Amy who held up her hands in the air.

"Woah shortstack. Same team. Same team." Amy said loudly.

"Shut up Amy and get down." Beca said quickly. Amy joined Stacie and Beca on the other side of the structure. "How are you even a cop?"

Amy shrugged. "I know right."

"We are sitting ducks here." Beca said quietly. "I'm going that way" she pointed towards the bus. "Cover me."

Beca readied her gun and moved quickly around the maze of structures deciding to throw herself into a blow up bag and roll over the top of it when she heard a high pitched scream.

"I don't think we can make it" Chloe said looking at the bus again. "It's so far." She whispered.

"That's where the hostage is." Aubrey replied quickly. "We are making it. I'm not losing to Mitchell."

Chloe's head whipped around. "Beca?"

Aubrey met her gaze quickly. "Yeah" she replied in a short hushed tone. "So move your ass." Aubrey ordered.

Chloe followed closely behind Aubrey staying as low as she possibly could. "She's really nice." Chloe whispered.

Aubrey stopped abruptly and turned around towards the redhead. "How do you even know Beca?" Aubrey asked.

"We had a fire education day at school and she was there. We was really sweet to the kids." Chloe beamed.

"No Chloe." Aubrey said simply with a shake of her head. Then turned back around and headed slowly in the direction of the bus.

Jesse pulled himself up to the top of a large storage container. He had worked his way to this part of the course carefully. Once on top he laid flat and scanned the field below. He smirked as two yellow players crawled around a large barrel. He moved his fingers as fast as he could and littered their area with shot. Jessica and Ashley both stood up raising their hands in the air signaling that they were out. The pop of shattered paint balls landed just below him on the side of the container. Jesse held his gun close to his body and rolled backwards almost rolling off the back as the paint continued to splatter around him. He managed to slide off the back of the container hanging from his left hand and then landed smoothly on his feet. "Shit" he muttered to himself. He knew this container was out in the open and whoever was shooting at him would just wait for him to make his move.

"Whose idea was this?" Amy asked as she breathlessly followed Stacie and Beca. Neither answered her as they continued to maneuver the course inching closer and closer to the old white bus. "Can we take a break?" Amy asked a little too loud for Beca's liking.

"Seriously Amy. Just stay here." Beca whisper shouted. "And shut the fuck up."

"Ah no." Amy said loudly. "I'm not just going to sit here and let you get all the glory when we win. I'm just requesting a small 2 to 20 minute, preferably 20 minute break."

Beca turned quickly and fired one shot hitting Amy in the chest.

"Beca!" Stacie shouted quietly.

"What? Now she can take a 20 minute break" Beca deadpanned.

"Thanks B. You've always been a close friend." Amy said with a sincere smile. "Sexy bitch out" Amy said loudly as she stood in the air and raised her hands.

"Amy's out" Aubrey whispered. She peeked around the corner to see the woman walking away. "Maybe Luke got her. She's just right over there." Aubrey whispered to Chloe.

Chloe took a look at the direction Amy was leaving from. It was probably about 20 feet away from where they were.

"She's a cop you know" Aubrey said as went back to maneuvering around the structures.

"Really?" Chloe questioned a little too loudly.

"Did you hear that?" Stacie asked. "That came from behind us."

"Yeah" Beca said turning back around to see if she could see any movement. After not seeing anything she turned back towards Stacie. "We better hurry up."

"Come on" Luke whispered to himself as he swept his weapon from side to side of the container waiting for Jesse to make his move. "Don't just sit there like a little bitch. Make your move."

"This is stupid" Jesse said to himself. "It's just a stupid paintball game." He psyched himself up. "I'm going right. No, I'm going left. No, right. No"

"Fuck! Luke out."

Jesse heard shouted from behind the container.

The tall blonde man stood up with his hands raised in the air and turned. Lily stood behind him with a smile.

"Do you think Jess and Ash are left?" Chloe asked still sneaking behind Aubrey.

"Sshh" We're almost there Aubrey said ignoring the question. Chloe bumped into Aubrey and fell back on her butt. Aubrey turned to scowl at her.

"Sorry. Why did you stop?" Chloe asked.

"Stacie" Aubrey pointed over her shoulder. "You go that way and I'll go this way. Trap her in the middle."

"I don't want to go by myself." Chloe replied quietly.

"Just go." Aubrey ordered.

Chloe scrunched her eyebrows but headed in the direction Aubrey pointed.

Beca circled the bus after splitting up from Stacie. She heard Luke announce that he was out and silently thanked Jesse or Lily.

Stacie heard a sound from behind her and turned quickly firing once but hearing two pops. She looked to see the green splotch on Aubrey's right thigh and then looked down at her stomach. "Shit" She said to herself.

Chloe heard Aubrey announce that she was out a second after Stacie announced the same thing. She caught site of brunette hair crawling around the front of the bus. She froze for an instant before it became clear to her that Beca didn't see her yet.

Beca rounded the front of the bus and smiled as she saw the steps. Her smile faded as two pink balls splattered on the tire next to her head.

"Come out with your hands up" Chloe ordered making her voice deeper than normal.

Beca smiled and shook her head immediately after hearing Chloe's request.

"And if I don't?" She asked back still unable to locate the redhead.

Another pink ball splattered on the fender right about her.

"Are you trying to shoot me or are you just a really bad shot?" Beca teased.

Chloe fired several shots in Beca's direction.

"Okay okay" Beca yelled. She held her gun up in front of her.

"Put it on the ground." Chloe ordered again.

Once Beca's weapon laid on the ground Chloe came out from behind the spindle she was handing behind. She kept her gun trained on Beca and made her way to the bus her grin growing with each step.

"Are you going to shoot me?" Beca asked.

"I don't know yet" Chloe answered as she took a step on to the bus. "Maybe I want to make you watch." She winked.

Beca quirked an eyebrow. "Kinky."

Chloe stepped up into the bus and walked to the back where the hostage was being held. Once it was in her hand she turned to see Beca standing in the isle with her gun pointed right at her.

"Hand over the purple elephant and maybe I'll let you walk away." Beca said with a smirk.

"Really?" Chloe asked. "I don't think you'll shoot me."

"Why not?" Beca asked quickly.

Chloe took a chance. She slowly made her way towards Beca, a surge of confidence rushing through her. "Because, I think you like me too much."

"Ha" Beca replied loudly.

"No? You don't like me?" Chloe said close enough to whisper.

"I mean" Beca said as she felt the pop hit her in the stomach. She looked down at the pink paint that splattered all over her chest protector then back up to Chloe who had the biggest smile she'd ever seen. In that moment on the bus, just the two of them, Beca let herself silently admit that yes, she liked Chloe.

* * *

 **AN: Happy Easter Everybody! Hope you liked this chapter. I found it really fun to write and help set up some of these relationships a little better. As always, your thoughts are greatly appreciated so let me have 'em.**


	5. Chapter 5

Beca brought the beer bottle to her lips and tilted her head back slowly but her eyes never left their target as she leant up against the brick on the outside of Stacie's house.

"You're being creepy." Stacie said having just exited the house through the sliding door.

Beca didn't look away from the redhead as she answered, "no, I'm not."

"You're staring at that girl." Stacie whispered as she leant into Beca.

Beca didn't reply, she just kept sipping her beer.

"Why won't you just admit you like her?" Stacie asked.

"I don't" Beca automatically denied. "Who's that guy?" She asked quickly.

"Who? The guy talking to the girl you aren't staring creepily at?" Stacie asked with a breathy laugh.

Beca finally pulled her eyes from where Chloe and Luke stood across the yard talking a little too close for Beca's liking, although she would never admit that. Her eyes silently scolded Stacie for being a smartass.

"That's Luke. Jessica's brother." Stacie answered.

"Okay, so" Beca thought trying to connect Chloe to the group, "he's Jessica's brother and he knows Chloe and that's how she got invited to the paintball game and to Jessica's party a few weeks ago?"

"No, I think they just met at the party." Stacie replied.

"Then how does Chloe know Jessica?" Beca asked.

"Aubrey introduced them."

"How does Chloe know Aubrey?" Beca asked.

"They're best friends." Stacie answered.

"What!" Beca said with a loud laugh earning some looks from other people standing near them. "You're kidding me."

"Nope and roommates" Stacie replied with a smile.

"What's funny?" Jesse asked happy to make his way over to them after having a strange conversation with Lily.

"Becs just found out that her crush is bffs with Aubrey." Stacie answered him smiling.

"Really? Chloe and Aubrey?" He asked.

Stacie nodded.

"I don't have a crush on her." Beca replied dryly.

The both just looked at her before looking back at each other making knowing eye contact.

"Are you going to guard that with your life?" Luke teased.

Chloe pulled the purple elephant tighter to her chest. "Maybe" she said raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I'll make a reservation for three then." Luke said leaning in close.

"Reservation for what?" Chloe asked.

"For our date." Luke answered as if it were obvious.

"Date?" Chloe scoffed.

"Yeah, tomorrow night?" Luke asked sweetly. "I'd really like to take you out." He smiled.

Chloe unconsciously looked toward Beca who was leaning against the house talking to Stacie who was leaning into her. She looked back to Luke. "Yeah, okay. That sounds good." She agreed.

"So, 8:00? For three" He teased.

"How about 7:00 and for two?" Chloe countered.

"Sounds great." He said smiling as he leaned in towards her.

Chloe froze.

Beca put the bottle to her lips and emptied it in a few gulping swallows after watching Luke kiss Chloe. She turned to Jesse and Stacie who were engaged in conversation, not caring if she interrupted them. "I'm out. I'll see you tomorrow at work." She said particularly to Jesse.

They watched as she tossed her beer in a large trash can, hearing it clank off other bottles, and leave quickly. "What was that all about?" Stacie asked Jesse.

He shrugged. "Don't know. But what do you make of the Chloe thing?" He asked. He was happy his best friend seemed to be interested in someone. He wanted that for her. He wanted that for himself.

"She keeps saying she doesn't like her but she does. I can tell." Stacie answered sadly.

"Are you okay with that?" Jesse asked knowing that Beca was the only one who was oblivious to Stacie's had a major crush on her.

"Beca doesn't see me that way, so I guess I have to be okay with it." Stacie answered.

"Sucks." Jesse said looking around at the other people littered in small groups throughout Stacie and Amy's backyard.

"Yeah. Sucks." Stacie admitted.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe was nervous for her date with Luke. Not because she liked him that way but because after the short kiss in the backyard the previous day, she knew Luke was expecting more than just friendship from her. Aubrey talked her down from her mini panic attack and helped her get ready. Dinner was good. Conversation with Luke was easy but then again after their awkwardness of their initial meeting they never really had to force conversation.

"Thanks for dinner. I had a really good time." Chloe said as Luke followed her insisting upon walking her to her door.

"Maybe we can do it again soon?" He asked hopeful.

"Yeah, maybe we can." Chloe agreed as she turned to face the tall blonde man.

"I really like you Chloe." Luke admitted, "I'd really like to see where" he motioned between them "this goes."

"Luke" Chloe breathed in a whisper.

He leaned in placing his lips on hers.

Chloe's right hand landed in the middle of his chest. She pushed him back slowly breaking the kiss.

"Luke. I'm sorry" she began. "You're a really great guy and I like hanging out with you and talking with you and I know I kissed you yesterday at the party but that was probably a mistake."

Luke backed away. She could see the disappointment on his face.

Chloe blinked slowly and corrected herself. "I know it was a mistake Luke. I'm not looking for a relationship but I'd like it if we could be friends." She explained slowly.

"Friends?" Luke asked quietly.

Chloe nodded.

"Friends?" He said a little louder.

"Yeah, if you want." Chloe replied.

He didn't answer. He stuffed his hands in the front pocket of his black slacks, turned and quickly walked away.

 **XxXxXx**

"How have you been?" Dean Lewis asked as Beca reluctantly took a seat on the leather chair in her office early Monday morning.

"I've been good. Busy with work and stuff. You?" Beca asked her mother.

"I'm well and so is Richard." Her mother answered. "The invitation to dinner still stands Beca. We'd love to have you."

"Yeah. Thanks but you know that's probably not going to happen mom." Beca answered honestly. Her mother's reaction prompted her to continue. "I. Look I know that you don't approve of me doing this."

"It's dangerous Beca." Her mother said quickly, "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"But it's what I'm meant to do. And I won't put you through what dad put you through. It's just easier if we're not close." Beca said with a small shrug of her shoulder.

Dean Lewis shook her head slowly. "Just because we aren't as close as we used to be, as I would like us to be, doesn't make it any easier darling. If something were to happen to you today, it would destroy me. The same way it did with your father. Refusing to have a relationship with me doesn't make you any less my daughter and doesn't make me love you less or worry about you less."

Beca sat quiet in her chair as she looked at her mom. She missed her but since she joined the academy they never saw eye to eye. The fire department was the last place Evelyn Lewis, formerly Mitchell, wanted her daughter to end up.

"Trust me, it's just easier this way." Beca argued.

"For who Beca? You? Because it's not any easier for me." Evelyn replied angrily. "Are you planning on shutting me out of your life forever?"

"I shut everyone out. Don't take it personally." Beca replied. "It's easier that way."

"And lonely." Evelyn supplied.

Beca sighed, this is not why she came to the school. "Here is the report you asked for. These are the deficiencies that need your attention immediately." Beca said as she stood and held the papers out in her mother's direction.

Evelyn looked down at the floor momentarily before collecting herself and then looking back up. "Thank you." She said looked at the papers. "I'll give these my full attention. And if I need assistance in remedying these?" She asked.

"Just give the Chief a call and he'll handle it or send someone out." Beca said as she tucked her hands in her pockets. "I have to get back."

"Thank you Lieutenant Mitchell." Dean Lewis said choosing to address her formally.

"You're welcome." Beca replied before turning towards the door. She turned and pulled the doorknob open. Her breath hitched at the person who stood in front of her.

"Beca?" Chloe said.

"Hi" Beca answered.

"I didn't expect to ... What are you doing here?" Chloe asked stumbling nervously over her words.

"Just dropping of a report." Beca pointed her thumb over her shoulder towards her mother who stood looking over the paperwork.

"Oh, so hey Saturday you left without saying goodbye." Chloe said fluttering her eyelids.

Beca was taken aback. "Yeah. Sorry." She said slowly.

"I was hoping to talk to you some more that night. Why did you have to leave?" Chloe asked.

"I've got to get back to the house. I'll see you." Beca said avoiding the question. She quickly brushed past Chloe and out of the administration office.

Chloe stood quietly in the doorway of Dean Lewis's office trying to figure out if Beca was angry with her or just brushing her off and what the answer to both of those questions could be.

"Miss. Beale. Please come in." Dean Lewis called.

Chloe stepped inside the office, leaving the door open, she took a seat in the chair in front of the Dean's desk. "You wanted to see me?" Chloe questioned nervously.

"Yes Dear, I just wanted to have a chat with you. See how your first month has gone in a new city. How you're liking this job." Dean Lewis took a seat and looked endearingly at Chloe.

The older woman had long dark hair, the same color as Beca's but her eyes were a dark brown. Chloe noticed that Beca's eyes were a stormy blue. Their features were similar but Chloe sat wondering if Beca looked more like her dad than her mom. "It's been good. I really like living here and I love the kids here and running the art department has been amazing so far."

"That's great to hear Dear. I've heard such good things about you from your peers and from some of the parents in the short time you've been with us. I called you in today just to check in with you and make sure you were enjoying your time here." Dean Lewis smiled. Chloe noticed immediately it wasn't Beca's smile. Beca smirked a lot and Dean Lewis had a beaming smile, she must have gotten that from her father, Chloe thought.

"Miss Beale" Dean Lewis said softly.

"Please call me Chloe." Chloe insisted.

"Okay, Chloe." Dean Lewis nodded gently. "I couldn't help but notice your exchange with Lieutenant Mitchell just now at the door."

Chloe's face suddenly felt hot as if she was about to be interrogated by Beca's mother. "Yes ma'am" Chloe squeaked out.

"Do you mind me asking how you know her?" Dean Lewis asked.

"We met a few weeks ago at a friend's house." Chloe answered avoiding the word party, not entirely sure how it would go over with Beca's mom and her boss. "And we've run into each other a couple of times. We seem to have the same group of friends. Well, my friends are neighbors with her friends." Chloe rambled. "And we all hang out occasionally.

"I see" Dean Lewis said stopping Chloe.

Chloe waited but Dean Lewis didn't make any attempt to continue the conversation so Chloe took a chance. "She's very nice and incredibly brave." Chloe said sweetly.

She watched Dean Lewis's features flash sadness momentarily before she quickly recovered, "Yes, I'm sure that she is."

"Do you know her?" Chloe chanced wondering why Dean Lewis hasn't confirmed that Beca is her daughter.

"I do, yes. But not very well." Dean Lewis answered honestly. "She was here this morning dropping by the deficiencies we must address from the inspection they performed last week on Fire Safety Day."

The way Chloe was looking at Dean Lewis made the older woman a little uncomfortable. She could tell the redhead was chewing on a question that she wasn't brave enough to ask. "Thank you for coming in Miss. Beale." Dean Lewis said effectively ending the conversation.

"Of course. Any time." Chloe said as she stood and straightened out her blue dress.

 **XxXxXx**

"Hey" Jesse said as he knocked on Beca's dorm room in the fire house.

She laid on her bed with her legs crossed and her arms crossed under her head. "Hey" She said looking up at him.

"You've been in here all day. You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, just thinking." Beca admitted.

"About?" He pried.

"I saw my mom today." Beca said as she pushed herself up to sit and lean against the wall where a headboard should be.

"Yeah, I heard that you brought the plans over to the school. Everything okay?"

Beca shrugged. "I guess. It's just" she paused.

Jesse waited patiently for his best friend to sort out her thoughts and continue.

"I don't know, seeing her reminds me of him and of how happy he was." Beca admitted. "He loved his job and he loved his wife."

"And he loved his kid." Jesse supplied knowing Beca would probably leave herself out.

"Yeah" She acknowledged softly. "I remember him saying how happy he was, how much he loved us."

"And it makes you want that too?" Jesse asked knowingly.

Beca was about to answer when the piercing sound of the fire alarm rang through the house. She tossed her legs over the side of the twin bed onto her feet and followed Jesse out of the small room. They quickly raced towards the garage as the alarm stopped and the location was delivered over the loud speaker by a dispatch officer.

"High Rise apartment structure fire. 2894 West 24th and Alcoa BLVD, Woodway Hills California. 4 stations responding. LAFD Station 43, LAFD Station 72, LAFD Station 58, LAFD Station 49."

Beca climbed in the truck and began suiting up as she heard dispatch repeat the call. Jesse shared a look with her as they continued to listen to the four-alarm call. They already knew by being a four alarm that it was going to be huge and that it was going to be dangerous.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe walked through the door and dropped her keys in the bowl on the small entry table. "Bree?" She called as she walked through the entry hall, turning towards the kitchen. "You here?" She asked loudly. She didn't hear a reply as she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. Chloe kicked her heels off as she twisted the cap and brought the cold bottle to her lips. She glanced at the clock. 5:40pm. Aubrey was off that day and her car was in the drive way but didn't appear to be home. Chloe made her way through the kitchen and into her bedroom. She sat her water down as she reached around and unzipped her blue dress letting it fall to the floor. Chloe stepped out of the dress that was now pooled around her feet and walked the short distance to her dresser. She pulled out her favorite pair of sweatpants and a soft t-shirt and slipped into both then grabbed her water and left her room. She walked past the kitchen on her way to the living room where she was surprised to find Aubrey standing in front of the TV. "I didn't think you were home." Chloe said as she entered the room and sat on the couch.

Aubrey didn't move a muscle. She just stood.

"Bree?" Chloe asked concerned as her best friend continued to just stand in front of the TV. A muffled beeping rang through the house and pulled Aubrey out of her trance. Chloe followed her with her head as she turned and ran towards the other side of the house where Aubrey's bedroom was. After her friend disappeared Chloe's head rolled back around and towards the TV. A cold shiver ran through her body. She reached forward and pulled the remote control off the coffee table in front of her and turned the volume up.

 _"_ _I don't remember seeing a fire this big in LA. I'm counting 6 different fire trucks and some tactical units and way too many ambulances to count. There has to be at least 30 different EMS trucks."_

Chloe heard the reporter's voice say. Aubrey ran out of her room now dressed in her dark blue scrubs. "They're calling me in." She said quickly as she hurried towards the door.

"Wait, this is close to us?" Chloe turned and asked her best friend.

"Yeah it's the next town over, so UCLA is about to receive a bunch of people. I'll call you." Aubrey said and was quickly out of the door.

Chloe turned back towards the TV. The tall building which appeared to be an upscale apartment building had flames shooting out of it from all sides. The realization hit her. The next town over. Her hand flew over her mouth at the possibility of Beca being at that fire. She tried to quickly talk herself out of it. The next town, not their town. Surely they wouldn't be involved in a fire that wasn't even in their town. She continued to listen to the reporters talking back and forth as the scene continued to play out on the TV.

 _"_ _Can you see any progress in getting this fire under control?" A reporter asked._

 _"_ _Not really. Unfortunately with the nature of these high rise structure fires, firetrucks aren't equipped with ladders that can reach buildings this tall. From what we've learned, this building has 18 floors which is about 190 feet tall and most ladder trucks are equipped with ladders that extend 100 feet. Which means the firefighters are scaling this building on foot and pulling hoses along with them as well as working in different teams to clear the floors as they go." The onsite reporter explained._

 _"_ _Greg, we are now being informed by LAFD that this in fact a four alarm fire which means that four different stations are responding to this fire. Do you happen to know which departments those are?" The woman asked._

 _"_ _Again, Linda, it's a very chaotic scene but I have seen trucks from 42, 72, 68 and I'm honestly not sure of the fourth." Greg answered._

 _"_ _Thank you for that information Greg. Has anyone been rescued that you can see?" Linda asked._

72\. Chloe ran the number through her mind several times. 72. That was Beca, Jesse and Stacie's house. They were there. Maybe. Maybe it was their off day, but she had seen Beca that morning. In her uniform. She tried several times to count back three days on and two days off but lost track several times. She knew Beca was off on Saturday and today was Monday. It didn't matter, she knew she was at work. Beca was in her uniform this morning. It was either her first or second day on. Chloe's heart sank into her stomach.

"Mitchell report" Chief Smith said into his communication device. He waited as he stood at the bottom of the structure looking up. He was about to call for Beca again when she returned his call.

"Squad 61 on 16th floor." Beca called out.

Chief Smith waited a few more minutes before he heard from her again. "5 tenants descending southeast stairwell with Cummings. 16 all clear. Squad 61 climbing to 17."

"Rodger that Mitchell." Chief Smith said over comms before asking all the units that were responding. "All units report coordination of floors." Voices began to flood over the intercom.

"Squad 13 floors 1 through 5 all clear. All squad team accounted for." A deep voice called out.

"Squad 93 floors 11 through 14 all clear. Squad team descending."

"Squad 58 floors 6 through 10 all clear. All squad team accounted for." The last voice reported.

"Can anyone identify the level the fire began?" He asked again.

Jesse answered, "Swanson 61. We are above it Chief." He confirmed.

"Russell 93. Floor 11 is the source. All tenants were lead out down southeast stairwell. 11 through 14 all clear. Squad team descending." Was repeated.

"3 tenants descending with Williams from southeast stairwell. 17 all clear. Squad 61 climbing to 18." Beca communicated.

 _"_ _We've been seeing people being lead from the back side of the building with firefighters periodically Linda. But I am hearing that there are still firefighters in the building working to make sure everyone is out safe." Greg said through the TV._

Chloe couldn't look away. Her eyes scanned the TV hoping to catch a glimpse of Beca.

 _"_ _Greg can you see that?" Linda asked her voice panicky._

 _"_ _Oh my God Linda. That's a man hanging out of the building. I can barely make him out with the thick grey smoke pouring out behind him. Do you see it in studio?" Greg asked frantically._

The camera zoomed in and Chloe's hand shot over her mouth.

 _"_ _Yes Greg we can see him. Do you know what floor that's on?" Linda asked._

"Mitchell report" Chief smith called out loudly.

"Mitchell. 18" Beca called back.

"We have a problem." Chief Smith said quickly as he watched the man standing on the ledge of the tall apartment building. "Floor 14 not clear."

"Repeat" Beca asked quickly.

"14 is not clear, I repeat, 14th floor is not clear." Chief Smith said loudly.

"Who the fuck was supposed to clear 14?" Beca asked quickly.

Beca kicked the door open of the last apartment on the 18th floor. "Fire department call out" She yelled as loud as she could as she stayed low as smoke floated above her. She made her way slowly through the unit looking for people. "Fire department call out!" She yelled again.

"58 was on 14 and cleared it" Beca heard Chief Smith's voice over the communication radio. "But I'm looking at a man hanging out of a window on the 14th floor. 14 is not clear. Can you get to 14?"

Beca scanned the apartment again on her way out. She met Jesse and Theo who had two people with him from one of the apartments he checked. She banged up against the wall when she felt an explosion coming from beneath them. "Get them out of here." She ordered to Theo who nodded and grabbed the two people and pulled them towards the southeast stairwell.

"Mitchell. Can you get to 14?" Chief Smith asked again with urgency rising in his voice.

Beca looked at Jesse as they silently communicated. "Are we the only unit left in the building?" Beca asked.

"Affirmative. Engine units are climbing with hoses but are only on 5." Chief reported.

Jesse shook his head in disbelief. The fire was climbing the floors quickly and this was the second explosion he felt in the last 3 minutes. This building was a death trap.

"Mitchell and Swanson responding to 14." Beca replied.

Beca pushed herself to her feet quickly, keeping as low as she could as they jogged as fast as they could carrying over 30 pounds of equipment on their backs.

"Stay in contact Mitchell." Chief Smith ordered.

"Shit" Beca said out of breath as they reached the stairwell they had just climbed up. It was now completely filed with smoke.

"Go try the southeast stairwell." Beca said turning to Jesse who was bent over with his hands on his knees. Jesse nodded quickly and made his way over to the stairwell everyone was using to evacuate from. "Our access stairwell is filled with smoke. Swanson is checking the evacuation route. I'm going to try and go down. It's the fastest way." Beca said over comms.

"Southeast is blocked. The last explosion blew the walls down. We can't access it. Theo report." Jesse's voice was heard between pants for breath.

"Cullen plus two descending southeast stairwell floor" there was a pause, "10." Theo replied.

"Mitchell 16" Beca said as she slowly made her way down the smoke and fire filled stairwell. She had no idea what she was going to do if she made it to the man. The fire was below them and she doubted that if this floor was this bad, there was no way they were going to make it past 11, and now the evacuation route was blocked. "Chief. We need to be thinking about alternative evacuation routes." Beca requested.

"You're going to have to make it up to the roof Mitchell and wait for the fire to be extinguished. There is no way out of this building." Chief Smith responded quickly.

"Engine company 72 report." He called over comms.

"Allen 72. We are on 8. Moving slowly. Fire spread quickly. Swanson and Mitchell hang on. We're coming." he said loudly.

For as much as they didn't like each other, they were family and they would die for each other.

"Copy that Allen but if you could hurry I'd really appreciate it. My ass is roasting up here." Beca said hoping to lighten the mood a little bit. Mostly for herself, she knew she, Jesse and this guy on 14 were in trouble.

"I'll see what I can do Mitchell" Bumper replied before ordering his unit to grab the hoses and clear enough of the fire to allow them to progress up the stairs. The units behind them could extinguish the fire.

 _"In the last several minutes Linda we have heard several explosions coming from the building. I haven't been able to confirm that the gas to the building has been cut off and that could possibly be the source of the explosions. I have heard that the stairwell the firefighters were using to evacuate people from has collapsed. As you can see the man is still hanging out of that window as the smoke continues to pour out. I have confirmed that rescue crews are trying to get to him but are having difficulty as the building deteriorates."_

 _"I pray he doesn't jump Greg." Linda said solumly._

Chloe closed her eyes. She was sick to her stomach watching this unfold in front of her. She was absolutely helpless. She knew nothing. She didn't know what to do, if there was anything she could do. She couldn't help at the hospital. She didn't have any idea if Beca was okay and she was slowly panicking and she still couldn't admit to herself why. All she could do was sit there and watch.

"Mitchell. I can't go any further than 15. It's engulfed. I'm climbing." Beca called over the radio.

Jesse turned quickly to find the roof access of the building. He found the door but didn't have anything to open it with. He turned back towards the first apartment and ran in looking for any kind of tool he could use to knock the door knob off.

"Mitchell 17" Beca called out over the radio. "Swanson do you have roof access?"

Jesse looked under a kitchen counter and reached for a small fire extinguisher. It would work. "I will in about 90 seconds." Jesse communicated back to Beca.

"Chief, how short are we going to be on that ladder?" Beca asked as finally made it back to the top floor. Jesse was beating the door knob with something trying to knock it off. After a couple more hits she saw it fly off.

"We have roof access." Jesse called over comms.

"60 feet Mitchell." Chief Smith called back after he instructed the nearest ladder truck to get as close to the man as they could.

"Fuck" Beca said to herself as she finally caught up with Jesse. They climbed the steps and both kicked the door to the roof open with one kick.

They both pulled off their helmets and then oxygen masks quickly coughing out the smoke that snuck through their masks.

"What are you thinking?" Jesse asked as he watched Beca shed herself of her oxygen tank.

"We are on the roof right and there are 18 floors."

Jesse nodded following her thought process.

"So each story is what like 11 feet? And he's on 14 so that 44 feet plus the 11 for being up here." Beca said quickly as she placed her helmet back on and looked around. She pressed her button, "Chief which direction?"

"Northwest corner." Chief Smith called out.

"How much rope do you have?" Jesse asked.

"Mitchell this guy is climbing out the window. What's your play?" Chief Smith called out.

Beca reached down into one of her Velcro pockets and pulled out 30 feet of perfectly wrapped 7.5 mm rope. "30 feet. You?" She asked Jesse.

"Same" Jesse said as he unravel his rope quickly and tied a double fisherman's knot linking his and Beca's together.

Beca tied the rope under both of her arms pulling it tight to avoid wasting any length.

"Allen, 11." Bumper reported.

Beca and Jesse reached the northwest corner of the building and peered over the edge to locate the man.

"Hey!" Jesse called down as loudly as he could. He knew there was no way the man could hear him but the people on the ground pointing up towards the roof alerted the man who turned up to look at them almost falling out of the window in the process.

 _"Oh my god." Linda said. "What is he looking at? Greg can you see?"_

 _"Yes Linda. There are two firefighters on the roof. They appear to be shouting down at him but we can't hear them."_ Greg answered.

Chloe leaned forward hoping to get a better look and silently begging the camera man to pan up to the roof.

 _"Are you seeing this in the studio Linda?" Greg asked as Beca climbed up on the edge of the building and began to hang from it as Jesse slowly lowered her down._

The camera panned up to show the firefighter hanging off the side of the building. Chloe felt like she was about to stress vomit like Aubrey as she clearly read Mitchell on the back of that firefighters jacket. "Oh no" she said muffled as her hand flew over her mouth.

 _"You don't see this type of rescue very often Linda. These rope rescues are extremely dangerous and often used as a last resort." Greg relayed._

As Jesse slowly lowered her Beca knew she needed to fill him in now that there was no going back. "Jesse." She said through her radio.

He paused in lowering her and used all his strength to hold her in place as he hit his radio. "Kind of a bad time Becs." He said and then returned both of his hands to the rope and began to lower her again.

"We have 60 feet of rope." She watched as he nodded.

"Mitchell did you say 60 feet of rope?" Chief Smith's voice said sounding alarmed.

"Copy that Chief." Beca responded. "So we are going to be about 54 feet short of the ladder." Beca watched Jesse's eyes as the realization hit him. This rope was thin and he was strong but there was no way of knowing if the guy Beca was about to pull out of the building was on the big side and if he was, would Beca be able to hold him long enough for Jesse to pull them up. If he could pull them up.

"Fuck Mitchell" Bumper's voice was heard over the radio. "You're 60 feet short? You're fucking crazy. 12."

Beca didn't respond as she reached man who had already began reaching and grasping for her wildly as he panicked.

"Stop. Sir stop!" Beca yelled at the man as he knocked her around trying to get a hold of her. "What's your name?" She asked.

"Barry" he screamed as he coughed. Black smoke was pouring out around him.

"Okay Barry. Grab my hand and pull me toward you slowly. Okay." Beca instructed as she reached out towards him.

He grabbed her as instructed but forcefully pulled her towards him bouncing her off the building. He wrapped his arms around her neck and jumped from the window. Beca felt the rope give as they fell a few feet before coming to a halting stop, the rope snapping tight under Beca's underarms squeezing her tightly.

 _"Oh no" Linda said. "Are they okay?" She asked Greg._

 _"I think so Linda. That wasn't the smoothest of transfers but it appears they are okay for the moment."_

Chloe released a breath.

Beca wrapped her legs between them mans and grabbed him under his shoulders holding as tightly as she could.

Jesse gritted his teeth and pulled as hard as he could groaning loudly.

"Allen. 13." Bumper called out on the radio.

Beca knew she needed Jesse to stop trying to pull but she couldn't reach her radio. He was slowly pulling them away from Bumper and the guys of Engine Company.

"Barry" Beca said loudly.

The man turned his head to look at her. He was exhausted and on the verge of passing out.

"I need you to stay with me. Just breathe" She tried to coach him.

His head swayed as he tried to nod. Beca could feel his grasp around her neck loosening.

Jesse could feel the rope burning into his hands through his gloves but he continue to pull as hard as he could. Inch by inch. His hands were killing him and his muscles were screaming at him but he couldn't stop.

"No Barry" Beca said just as Barry's body went limp in her arms.

* * *

 **AN: Are you guys still with me on this? Let me know your thoughts ...**


	6. Chapter 6

Jesse put his weight in the heels of his boots and his toes on the wall in front of him. His arms were exhausted but he leaned backwards using his bodyweight to pull Beca and the guy from 14 up slowly, then adjusting his grip and repeated.

"Allen on 14." Bumper reported.

Beca held tight to Barry as they hung in the air so close to the building Beca could feel the flames nipping at her and she couldn't be sure Barry's back wasn't on fire.

Jesse adjusted his grip holding tightly with his left hand and reaching as far forward with his right as possible. "Shit" He groaned to himself as he noticed the rope was beginning to fray from the friction along the ledge of the concrete wall. "We have a problem." Jesse said over comms.

Beca still couldn't reach her comm system. She was holding Barry with all her strength but could feel him beginning to slip in her grasp. She saw glass shatter below her and tilted her head down to see Bumper leaning out and looking around. He finally looked up. "What are you doing up there Mitchell?" He teased annoyingly. "Stop pulling Swanson." Bumper ordered. "Let them back down."

"I can't" Jesse replied through the radio.

"Why not?"

Beca listened as Bumper and Jesse went back and forth.

"The rope is fraying." He answered.

"Yeah, well it's also on fire so." Bumper said able to see the rope above Beca that she hadn't looked up to see. Her main focus was not dropping Barry 14 stories to his death.

"What do you want to do Becs?" Jesse asked not realizing she couldn't reach her radio.

Chloe leaned forward on her couch. She watched Beca dangle in the air with a man more than twice her size. There hadn't been any more upward movement for a couple of minutes. Chloe could feel in her gut that something was wrong as she subconsciously chewed on her thumb nail.

"Barry wake up" Beca grunted. The sweat was pour down her face and into her eyes. "Barry wake up." She repeated as she tried to squeeze the man tightly hoping to pull him out of unconsciousness. "Barry wake the fuck up!"

She felt the man coming to but wasn't prepared for him to panic once he realized where he was, over 160 feet in the air. He started flailing in Beca's grip and she was losing her hold on him.

"Swanson, you either lower her back down to me or that rope is going to burn through. Not to mention she's almost in a fist fight with this guy." Bumper said through the radio.

"Go up another floor." Jesse countered.

Beca's helmet flew off her head after she took Barry's elbow across the left side of her face. It was a miracle she didn't drop him.

"Lower them. That's an order." Bumper said pulling rank over Jesse. Even though he wasn't a member of squad, he was still a Lieutenant in the house.

Chloe watched the helmet fall almost as if it were floating through the air until it violently hit the concrete sidewalk below.

Bumper turned back into the window momentarily before leaning back out with a long pole in his hand.

Jesse slowly started to let out the rope he had collected hoping it wouldn't break as it rubbed against the concrete again.

Bumper reached the pole that was equipped with a hook on the end and guided the rope towards him as Beca and Barry ascended towards him.

 _"_ _Amazing" Linda said as firefighters pulled Barry and then Beca through a window. "Just amazing."_

 _"_ _Those were some tense moments Linda but the men and women of LAFD are some of the finest firefighters in the world." Greg said praising all the responders._

Chloe let out a breath and sank back into the couch feeling as if she had just ran a marathon. She continued to watch as the camera panned the property watching the fire become extinguished and occasionally replaying the rope rescue before returning to live shots. Chloe zoned in on the background as Greg was recapping the fire and was about to throw it back to the studio. She pushed herself off the couch, grabbed her keys and purse and before she knew it, she was in her car driving toward UCLA Hospital.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca flinched as Stacie grabbed her chin pulling her head to the side. "It's not bad." Beca groaned as Stacie inspected the 4 stitches across Beca's left cheekbone just underneath her eye.

Stacie breathed gently as she looked at Beca. "You were lucky today" she said softly. "I was watching you hang from that rope and I couldn't" Stacie choked herself up. "I don't know" she tried again but again couldn't get the words out.

Beca placed her hand over Stacie's that still held her jaw. "Stacie" Beca said softly but firmly. "Don't."

"Don't what?" Stacie asked.

"Say whatever it is you were about to say." Beca answered.

Stacie pulled her hand out of Beca's and took a couple steps back to put some space between them.

"You're one of my best friends Stacie." Beca stated.

Stacie waited, hoping to hear more but Beca didn't say anything else.

"Mitchell. Conrad." Chief Smith said as he pulled back the curtain separating the patients in the emergency room at UCLA.

"Chief" Beca said straightening up quickly.

"Good work today." He said to both of the women. "How you feeling?" He asked turning to Beca.

"I'm fine. Just waiting for the okay to leave." Beca answered.

"Injuries?" He asked Stacie knowing Beca wouldn't tell him the complete truth.

"She sustained several contusions to the right arm and shoulder from bouncing off the building. X-rays were negative for broken ribs but she sustained some pretty bad bruising to the 4th and 5th ribs on both sides under the shoulders due to rope placement. And 4 stitches to the left cheek. Negative for concussion." Stacie summarized.

"And Swanson?" Chief asked Stacie. Beca's ears perked up.

"Mostly fatigue. His hands were sore but he didn't suffer any rope burns or cuts. Last I checked, they were about to release him. CR was with him."

"He's already been released. He said he was fine but I wanted to hear the full story. Dean took him back to the house about 10 minutes ago." Chief Smith told them. "I'm calling in 2nd shift. I want everybody who responded today debriefed and then off duty for 4 days as soon as their counterpart reports. Then your rotation will pick up as usual."

Beca nodded.

"Great work today Mitchell." Chief said just before pulling the curtain and leaving the small area.

"Chloe?" Aubrey questioned as she walked through the waiting room of the emergency room.

Chloe had just made her way into the area and was looking around for a nurses station or somewhere she could ask for Aubrey or Beca.

"What are you doing here?" Aubrey asked as she made her way to her best friend.

"I saw them put Beca in an ambulance. Is she here?" Chloe asked frantically.

"What do you mean you saw them?" Aubrey asked with a confused look on her face.

"On TV. They showed it. I just figured since you got called in that they would bring her here." Chloe answered. "Is she here? Is she okay?"

"Chloe" Aubrey said as she grabbed the redhead by the arm pulling her out of the waiting room and into the emergency room and to a fairly secluded area. "Why are you so concerned about Lieutenant Mitchell? You barely know her."

"Because we are friends." Chloe answered. "I think." Chloe scrunched her brow thinking.

Aubrey crossed her arms across her chest waiting for an honest answer from her best friend.

"What?" Chloe asked not willing to give Aubrey any more detail than that.

"What about Luke?" Aubrey whispered knowing Jessica was working in the ER today as well.

"We're friends. And this has nothing to do with Luke." Chloe answered defensively. "Is she here or not?"

"She is. She's fine." Aubrey answered unwillingly.

"Chloe?"

Aubrey and Chloe turned.

"Jesse. Are you okay?" Chloe asked quickly as the firefighter approached her.

"Yeah. Are you okay?" He asked concern all over his face.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Chloe asked confused.

"Because you're in the Emergency room." He answered.

"Ready J?" CR asked coming from somewhere behind him and continuing past the three into the lobby area.

"I wanted to make sure Beca was okay." Chloe revealed. Now that she said it out loud to someone besides herself and to Aubrey, it sounded foolish. She barely knew the brunette.

Jesse smiled. "She definitely won't admit it but she'll appreciate that." He said gently seeing the nervousness on Chloe's face.

"She will?" Chloe asked her eyes growing large with hope.

"Wait, what?" Aubrey asked at the same time.

Jesse didn't answer the women, he just laughed.

"Are you okay? Really?" Chloe asked.

"I'm fine." He answered.

"What you guys did today was so heroic. And terrifying to watch." Chloe said honestly.

Jesse offered a gentle smile.

"Swanson" CR called out to him impatiently.

"I better go." He turned to Aubrey. "Thanks for" he stumbled, "taking care of me and helping all the people." He internally groaned at himself.

"Take care of yourself Jesse." Aubrey said with a shy smile and a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.

They watched him walk away.

"So, can I see her?" Chloe asked immediately turning back towards Aubrey. "Or do you want to talk about that." She hitched her thumb over her shoulder towards the direction Jesse just left from.

"Talk about what?" Aubrey replied faking offense.

"Take care of yourself Jesse" Chloe mocked her best friend and waived her hand in front of her face, fanning it quickly and batting her eyelashes.

Aubrey narrowed her eyes at her best friend. "I'll go find out where she is. She was set to be released. Wait here."

After finally signing the release papers, Beca pushed herself to her feet from sitting on the side of the hospital bed. She tried to swallow the painful groan as her body adjusted to a new position. She instinctively wrapped her left arm around her chest, her hand under her arm on the right trying to ease the pain she felt. She looked up at Stacie who was watching her carefully. She wasn't an idiot. She knew how Stacie felt about her. It was obvious but it was easier to play dumb than to hurt her friend because she just didn't see Stacie that way. Sure she was beautiful and sweet and funny but Beca didn't have those feelings towards the paramedic. Beca slowly made her way past the curtain and into the Emergency room ready to get the hell out of there. She thought for a second that maybe she did have a concussion because she could have sworn she was seeing Chloe standing there.

Chloe looked around just as Beca made eye contact with her. She was instantly moving in the firefighter's direction without making a conscious decision to do so.

"Chloe?" Beca questioned softly just as the redhead reached her, wrapping her arms around Beca's neck and pulling her into her. Beca's left arm was trapped in between them and she wasn't sure what to do with her right. She was surprised that Chloe was there but she was even more surprised that it seemed Chloe was there to see her and downright shocked that she stood there with the redheads arms around her neck and her head buried in Beca's neck. Beca slowly raised her right arm up and loosely wrapped it around Chloe's back trying to comfort the teacher who seemed distraught.

Chloe tightened her grip pulling her tighter at the feeling of Beca's hand on her back.

Beca breathed in a pained breath through her teeth and Chloe pulled away quickly raising both of her hands to her face and covering her mouth.

"Did I hurt you? Are you okay?" Chloe asked quickly.

"I'm fine." Beca answered. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." Chloe replied. She saw Stacie standing closely behind Beca and felt embarrassed having this conversation with her right there but she continued. "I watched the whole thing on TV and I was so worried about you. I need to see if you were okay or if there was something I can do to help you."

"I'm okay. I'm just headed back to the house." Beca answered still a little confused as to why Chloe would be there seeming to be genuinely worried about her.

"You have to go back to work? But your hurt." Chloe replied quickly.

"Just till my replacement comes in. Then I get a few days to recover."

"Are you going to be okay by yourself?" Chloe asked the words flying out of her mouth before realizing the implications.

"She's gonna stay with me for a few days so I can keep an eye on her." Stacie said from behind Beca.

That was news to Beca. "No, I'm not. I'll be fine at home." She argued to Stacie before turning back to Chloe. "Thanks for checking on me, but I'm fine really. You should go home."

Beca breezed by her and was quickly followed by Stacie.

"Beca" Chloe called. The firefighter turned back towards the redhead and then towards Stacie. "I'll meet you at the truck." The expression on Chloe's face begged to speak to her alone.

Once Beca made it back to Chloe she felt a change in the mood.

"Please let me help you." Chloe begged. "I don't know why but I feel like I need to take care of you or something?" Chloe questioned herself.

"I'm fine Chloe really." Beca insisted.

"Okay." Chloe said thinking quickly, "I have to work tomorrow but how about I come over to your apartment when school's over and make you dinner." Chloe offered with a smile.

Beca was caught off guard not expecting an offer like that from the beautiful girl in front of her.

"You said you don't cook." Chloe remembered. "I do and nothing makes you feel better than a good home cooked meal." Chloe smiled. "What do you say?" She asked softly.

Beca silently nodded quickly accepting the offer.

Chloe's smiled doubled in size if that were possible. "Great. Where do you live?" She asked.

"Mission Grand Apartments. 1453." Beca replied simply.

Chloe instantly committed it to memory. This time she slowly moved forward and gently wrapped her arms around Beca's neck. "I'm so glad you're okay" She breathed into Beca's ear. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Beca instantly missed the contact as Chloe retreated from her space and then left the emergency room leaving Beca standing there.

"Friends my ass" Aubrey said to herself as she watched Chloe walk away.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe knocked lightly on the door.

"Miss Beale" Dean Lewis greeted looking up from her desk. "Please come in."

"Good morning Dean Lewis" Chloe said with a smile as she walked into the office and sat on the edge of the chair folding her hands in her lap.

"Good morning" Dean Lewis greeted in return. "What can I do for you Miss Beale?"

"My planning period is last today and I'm currently caught up on all my lesson plans and I'm not scheduled to assist with dismissal today, so I was hoping it would be okay if I left a little early this afternoon?." Chloe asked. As soon as she got to school she checked her schedule to confirm that she wasn't on the car dismissal line and she wasn't. She wanted to get out a little early so she could stop by the grocery store before going to Beca's to make dinner for the brunette as promised.

"May I ask if this is an emergency?" Dean Lewis asked. She didn't usually let teachers out early unscheduled.

Chloe frowned slightly. She wasn't going to lie. "No. It's not an emergency. I have plans to make dinner for a friend this evening and I wanted to get by the store first. But it's not an emergency."

"I see" Dean Lewis replied preparing to deny the art teacher's request.

"It's with Beca. Um, Lieutenant Mitchell" She corrected herself. "She was banged up after yesterday's fire at that apartment high rise and I thought having a home cooked meal would make her feel better." Chloe said quickly playing the daughter card even though she was hoping not too and even though Dean Lewis never acknowledged that Beca was her daughter.

Dean Lewis pursed her lips. "I see" She replied. She had seen the news reports last night and she had seen the rescue. "Is she okay?" She asked softly trying not to seem to vulnerable.

"Yes ma'am." Chloe replied suddenly saddened that for whatever reason, Beca and her mother didn't seem to have a close relationship. "I saw her yesterday and she was very sore and she has some stitches here" Chloe said tracing her left cheek where Beca's injury was. "But she was okay."

Dean Lewis listened intently seeing nothing but sincerity in Chloe's face.

"Are you okay Dean Lewis?" Chloe asked softly. The older woman seemed to retreat into herself.

Dean Lewis looked up slowly. "Yes dear." She answered as she quickly composed herself. She cleared her throat, "I don't usually excuse my staff early but I will make an exception this time." Dean Lewis granted.

Chloe smiled and stood. "Thank you Dean Lewis."

"Please don't make a habit of it Miss. Beale." Dean Lewis warned as Chloe made her way towards the door.

"Of course not. Thank you again."

 **XxXxXx**

There was no adrenaline running through her veins anymore as she laid in bed looking up at the ceiling trying her best not to move, not to breathe. The whole right side of her body was sore. She took note of that when she woke up the first time that morning and went to reach for the TV remote that laid literally 2 feet away on the bed. She never got that remote. She just slowly returned to the position she was in previously, laying completely still on her back, because that didn't seem to hurt too much. She ended up lulling herself back to sleep after a few minutes. The next time she woke up was because she was a little chilly. When she sneezed it felt as if some had speared her with a red hot poker. It was one of the worst pains she had ever felt. Even worse than the left side of her face that was throbbing. She knew exactly where the pain medication was that the hospital sent her home with. She tossed the bottle and her keys into the bowl that sat on her kitchen counter as she walked by it yesterday after she finally got home.

Stacie made sure she took one of the pills when they left the hospital so that as she sat through the debriefing she didn't hurt that much and by the time she got home she was just exhausted from the day so she walked in, tossed her keys and pill bottle in the bowl and continued to her bedroom. Beca hadn't even showered. She changed into her LAFD sweatpants and a t-shirt once she got back to the fire house but she didn't bother with showering. She wanted to debrief and get home and she was lucky that her replacement had already made it to the house by the time she got there.

Beca heard her phone ring throughout the day. Mostly it was text alerts but the occasional call would come through. She figured it was Stacie, maybe Jesse but probably Stacie checking on her. There was no way she was going to get up to get that phone. Her body was in agony. She had managed to continue laying still enough to take several naps throughout the day but now the consistent knocking on her door was pulling her out of her lazy slumber. "Seriously Stacie" Beca whispered to herself trying to move her body or her face as little as possible.

Chloe looked at the number on the apartment door again, for like the 10th time. 1453. That's the number Beca told her. She repeated it to herself at least 50 times so she wouldn't forget. Chloe knocked again as worry started to creep into her thoughts. What if she wasn't okay? What if she was hurt and needed help? Her fist began making contact with the door louder than the previous times she knocked. "Beca?" She called through the door. Chloe was two seconds away from calling 911 for help, convinced Beca was inside dying, when the door finally opened slowly.

Beca assumed it was Stacie beating her door down since she was sure it was Stacie who had been calling her all day. But when she opened the door after a slow agonizingly painful walk through her apartment, seeing Chloe standing with a bag of groceries in her arms and a concerned look on her face, she was surprised.

"Hi" Chloe greeted softly.

"Hey" Beca groaned more than replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Dinner. Remember?"

The conversation she had with Chloe yesterday came back to her. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I totally forgot." She admitted.

"It's okay. Can I come in?" Chloe asked hoping Beca wouldn't ask her to reschedule.

"Um?" Beca really didn't feel up for this. She was weirdly tired, even though she slept pretty much all day and she was in pain and she was sure she looked like utter crap.

"Have you eaten today?" Chloe asked. She knew the answer before Beca could reply. It looked as if Beca had laid in bed all day.

"No" Beca admitted suddenly feeling a little hungry.

"So, let me make you dinner." Chloe smiled.

That smile. "Okay" Beca whispered. She slowly stepped to the side and held the door open for Chloe to walk through. Beca took in Chloe's appearance as she walked by her. She never had teachers in school that looked like that. If she had, maybe she would have liked school more. She was wearing a white and navy blue horizontal stripped shirt with a light grey cardigan sweater, tight dark wash jeans and tall brown boots. Beca followed her with her eyes through the apartment as she pushed the door closed.

"I realized when I was at the store that I don't know what you like to eat." Chloe said sheepishly as she watched Beca slowly make her way away from the door.

"You don't know anything about me." Beca replied quickly.

"I hope that changes." Chloe answered softly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. Well, I mean you don't know anything about me and I don't know anything about you, but I didn't mean it to come out like that." Beca said apologetically. "And I'll eat pretty much anything. Except mushrooms."

Chloe smiled and nodded.

"Or Brussel sprouts." Beca added. "Zucchini."

Chloe giggled. "Okay, how about chicken pot pie?" She asked. "Without mushrooms, Brussel sprouts or zucchini" she teased.

Beca smiled. "Yeah, I like that." It didn't matter that her face hurt in that moment.

"Good" Chloe whispered trying to fight the fluttering in her stomach. "So, I'll just" She said pointing over her shoulder towards the kitchen.

"Yeah" Beca replied.

"When was the last time you took one of these?" Chloe asked. She saw the orange pill bottle laying in the bowl and picked it up immediately after reading Vicodin on it. The date was for yesterday.

"Ah, yesterday." Beca admitted.

"Are you in pain?" Chloe asked. She knew the answer to that question. Beca moved around slower than anyone she had ever seen and she was holding her side like she was at the hospital yesterday and her face looked like it hurt.

"Yeah" Beca said as she walked into the kitchen and stood closely to Chloe who was unloading the grocery bag. "Can I help?"

Chloe thought it was sweet that she offered but knew she wouldn't want the brunette to help. Not this time. Tonight she wanted to take care of Beca. "Please don't be mad" Chloe said quickly.

Beca looked at her nervously.

"When was the last time you showered?" Chloe asked.

Beca's face reddened.

"No. You, oh my gosh, I'm sorry." Chloe said quickly. She went back to unloading the bag of groceries with Beca standing awkwardly beside her not saying anything.

"It's just that you kind of smell like smoke" Chloe offered. "And sweat."

"Okay" Beca said with a short laugh. It was all she could muster without putting herself in tremendous pain. "If you don't need any help, I'll go shower." Beca offered. The thought of the hot water running down her sounded appealing.

"Okay." Chloe smiled.

"Okay" Beca repeated.

* * *

 **AN: Thanks so much for the response to the last chapter. I hope you guys liked this one just as much. So, tell me you thoughts...**


	7. Chapter 7

Chloe had just finished cutting up carrots, celery and potatoes. The chicken breasts were already in the oven and she was looking through Beca's kitchen drawers for a can opener when she heard her name being called softly. She paused and listened again. Maybe she imagined it. She was just about to return to her task when she heard it again and again it was soft and tentative almost as if Beca didn't really want to call her name. She wiped her hands on a dish towel she found in a drawer, after popping a carrot in her mouth, and followed the sound of her name.

"Beca?" She questioned back.

"In here." Beca said softly.

Chloe pushed the partially opened door all the way open to find Beca sitting on the edge of her bed with her head hung down.

"Are you okay?" Chloe asked quickly. Beca looked so small in that moment. She hadn't seen the firefighter like this before. She was always confident and seemed so strong.

"I can't get my shirt off" Beca said barely audible.

"What?" Chloe asked as she slowly walked into the room.

Beca looked up at her slowly. In the light of her bedroom, Chloe took stock of Beca's face. Her left eye was turning dark and the skin around the stitches was red.

"My ribs hurt too much. I can't lift my arms up to take my shirt off." Beca said slowly.

"Okay. Um?" Chloe felt nervous. "Do you want me to help you?"

Beca looked at her.

"Yeah, I mean of course. You called me in here so yes you want my help." Chloe tried to sound confident but the image of Beca walking on the beach was flashing through her head and she was about to be up close to that body and she was nervous. "So, like what do you want me to do?" She asked as she assessed the situation. She'd never taken a t-shirt off someone without them raising their arms. "I can cut if off?" Chloe offered.

"Just pull it up over my head and then down my arms." Beca replied. "Try that first before you go cutting my clothes off me." She teased trying to lighten the mood.

Beca stood slowly, grimacing as she stepped in front of Chloe. The redhead reached down for the bottom of Beca's t-shirt, grabbing the material with both hands and slowly pulling upward. Her light blue eyes met Beca's dark blue and she was stuck. She couldn't look away. Chloe slowly worked the cotton material up Beca's torso and to her shoulders, gathering the excess in her hands as she went. She leaned in closer to Beca to pull the shirt's back forward as Beca ducked her head down to make it easier on Chloe. Once she cleared it, she was able to pull the shirt down Beca's arms and completely off without causing much pain to the firefighter. Her breath hitched as she allowed herself to look down. Almost all of Beca's right side was dark purple. Her shoulder and starting down her arm as well as the ribs under both shoulders. It looked horrible.

"So" Beca whispered earning Chloe's eyes back up to hers. "This is awkward."

Chloe glanced back down at Beca's chest. It was going to be almost impossible to get Beca's sports bra off without hurting her. She could feel her cheeks heat up. She was standing in front of Beca who was in her sweatpants and sports bra. That fluttering was happening again but this time it wasn't in her stomach.

"What do you want me to do?" Chloe asked softly.

Beca thought she heard something other than concern in Chloe's voice. Maybe she heard lust? She wasn't sure. Probably not.

"Well?" Beca thought about it quickly. "Just yank it off?"

"What?" Chloe asked with a laugh. The situation was turning. Awkward, almost intimate and now hilarious.

"Don't make me laugh" Beca warned as she watched Chloe suck her lips in trying to hold her laughter at bay. "Don't, it fucking hurts." Beca said with a smile as she was losing the battle with herself.

"Okay, okay" Chloe said trying to calm herself but unable too. She burst into laughter placing her hand over her mouth. She shook her head as she laughed uncontrollably as tears started to fill her eyes.

Beca rolled her eyes as she watched Chloe try to slow her breathing and stop laughing. Chloe closed the small distance between them and wrapped her arms around Beca's neck pulling her body into the firefighters. Beca gulped as she felt Chloe's breath on her neck.

"I'm sorry. I won't laugh" Chloe whispered as she rested her head on Beca's left shoulder. "Does this hurt?"

"No" Beca managed to say. She wasn't much of a hugger but apparently Chloe was, not that she was complaining.

"Thanks for letting me come over." Chloe breathed.

The sensation of Chloe's body against her skin, even though she was clothed, was driving Beca crazy. The good thing about that was the adrenaline was back. She felt the pain from her injuries dull. She slowly reached up and wrapped her arms around Chloe's back, holding her gently, as if she would break the art teacher.

"You know, I think I can manage the rest." Beca said as she held the redhead.

Chloe pulled back slightly to face her. "You sure?" She asked.

Beca nodded slowly and lowered her arms back down to her sides.

"Okay, just" Chloe let go of Beca and started walking backwards out of the room, "if you need anything, you know, holler at me." After exiting the room, Chloe turned and headed back toward the kitchen. "Holler at me? So stupid." She whispered to herself as she rolled her eyes. "Jesus Chloe" She quietly reprimanded herself.

Beca nodded at the request to ask for help. After Chloe was out of the room she quickly walked to her bathroom and closed the door. She bent forward and slowly reached up trying to gather the strength and courage to pull her sports bra off quickly while the pain wasn't as bad from the rush of Chloe pressing against her. She sucked in a breath and discarded the clothing in one motion. She was relieved as she tossed it in the hamper and then stepped out of her sweats and underwear before stepping into the shower and turning the water all the way to cold.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe was sitting at the table scrolling through her emails when Beca slowly made her way out of her room and into kitchen.

Beca saw Chloe eye her. "These are clean." She said referring to the new set of sweatpants and t-shirt she put on after her shower.

"I was hoping you would call me to help you get dressed." Chloe said then she realized how it sounded and blushed.

Beca quirked an eyebrow.

"You know, so you wouldn't hurt yourself." Chloe tried to clarify.

"It wasn't easy or painless but I managed." Beca said as she slowly reached for the handle of the refrigerator. She closed her eyes and tried not to moan in pain loud enough for Chloe to hear.

"Maybe you should take one of these." Chloe said holding up the prescription bottle and rattling it.

"They make me feel weird. And really tired." Beca said pulling out a beer instead.

Chloe stood from the table and walked over to Beca, grabbing the beer bottle from her hand.

"Oh, did you want one too?" Beca asked.

Chloe shook her head and leaned over the door of the fridge and placed it back in. "I'm here to take care of you. So, take the pills. No one should have to be in as much pain as you are in. I don't like seeing you hurting." Chloe whispered as she looked at Beca with her big blue eyes.

"Yeah about that, why are you here to take care of me?" Beca asked. "Not that I don't appreciate it because I do but I just really want to know."

Chloe shrugged. "I don't know." She backed away from the fridge and towards the oven. She pulled the door down slightly to check on her chicken pot pie, then closed the door and turned back towards Beca. "I saw you on TV and you were helping all those people and I just wondered who helps you? You takes care of you?" Chloe asked.

"I can take care of myself." Beca replied quickly.

"I don't doubt that Beca but just for tonight, let me be here for you. Just because I'm offering and because I want to." Chloe said softly. "Can you do that?"

"But you don't even know me." Beca argued.

"So let me know you." Chloe countered requesting sweetly.

Beca stood silent. Looking at Chloe. Not really understanding why this woman was in her apartment. Why she let this woman in her apartment. And how this could possibly end well for her.

"I like you" Chloe admitted. "I want to be friends with you."

"Friends." Beca sighed. She was disappointed.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca pushed herself up from her place at the table. She grabbed her plate and then walked around the table stacking her plate on top of Chloe's and then picking them both up.

"What are you doing?" Chloe asked as she sat, reclined in the chair, her legs crossed over one another with her wine glass in her hand.

Beca looked down at her hand and then back up to Chloe. "Dishes?"

"I was going to do it." Chloe said placing her wine glass on the table and standing quickly.

"Where I'm from, the cook doesn't do the dishes." Beca said, the words automatically falling out of her mouth. The same words she heard her father say countless times when she was a kid.

Beca turned towards the sink, dishes in hand.

Chloe pursed her lips and squinted her eyes as Beca retreated. She could tell that comment slipped out without Beca's permission and that was a first for this evening. The brunette had remained guarded throughout all their conversations that evening. Always thinking before answering. Carefully planning what she was going to give away. Nothing too personal. Chloe grabbed her wine and then followed Beca to the sink. She leaned up against the counter next to her so she could see her face, even though the firefighter made an effort to not look direction at the redhead.

"Tell me more about that." Chloe requested. "How things work where you're from."

"Not much to tell." Beca replied as she looked down at the dishes in the sink.

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" Chloe replied softly.

Beca felt a little groggy. She took a pain pill earlier and she felt it beginning to kick in.

"Dinner was really good." She deflected. "Where did you learn to cook?"

Chloe smiled. Of course she would pivot out of a personal conversation. She sipped her wine, never taking her eyes of Beca. "My mom loves to cook. I guess I learned the basics from her." Chloe thought quickly. Maybe if she shared something personal about herself it would prompt Beca to open up a little bit. "I love art. Not just teaching it but making it."

Beca looked over to Chloe. Her voice changed. It was filled with passion as she continued talking.

"Painting is what I usually turn to but I'll dabble in other mediums occasionally. Pastels, charcoals, photography, things like that. Food can be like that too. Creating something from nothing. It can be beautiful in presentation but the real art of food is people's reactions to it. Their faces, it can display real emotion."

"How did you know chicken pot pie was my favorite?" Beca asked now feeling self-conscious of what her face looked like while she was eating.

Chloe smiled. "I didn't"

Beca rolled her eyes skeptically. "Did my mom tell you?"

Chloe's eyes lit up. Another personal slip. "Your mom?" She teased playing dumb.

Beca's expression flattened.

"No, she didn't tell me." Chloe answered. "It's comfort food." She shrugged.

Chloe watched as Beca slowly cleaned the plates they ate from first before making her way around the kitchen cleaning all the utensils and things Chloe used to make them dinner. Chloe pushed herself up to sit on the counter while she watched Beca carefully, her left leg crossed over her right, her hands on either side of her hips. They made small talk, nothing too personal. Chloe didn't want to push too hard but she was fascinated with the other woman.

"How are you feeling?" Chloe asked as Beca stacked the last dry dish on the counter. She couldn't reach up to the counter to put them away because it hurt too much and she immediately declined Chloe's assistance, promising it would be fine and that she could put them away when she felt better.

"Tired." Beca answered honestly. She glanced at the clock. 8:37pm.

"Maybe you should go lay down." Chloe suggested.

"Yeah, probably." Beca agreed she could feel herself getting sleepier and sleepier. "Thanks again for dinner."

Chloe hopped off the counter. "Of course."

"What?" Beca asked as the redhead stood in front of her making no attempt to gather her things or move towards the front door.

"Let's get you to bed." Chloe smiled.

 **XxXxXx**

The sound of birds chirping quietly grew louder and louder in the background as Beca laid still on her bed. She grimaced as she felt her body begin to wake up. Her eyes shot open when she heard Chloe's voice.

"You sleep funny."

Beca moved her eyes to the left to see Chloe, propped up on one arm looking over at her. Beca was too stunned to answer. Why was she here in her bed, wearing her favorite sweatshirt? Beca remembered slowly following the art teacher down the hallway to her bedroom. She remembered easing onto her bed carefully and that was it.

Chloe giggled and pushed herself off the bed.

Beca watched her intently.

"I hope you don't mind, I borrowed some of your clothes." Chloe said as if the morning was her favorite time of day.

Beca watched the redhead walk around her bed and into her bathroom. She was wearing a pair of Beca's LAFD shorts. Chloe's legs were longer than Beca's so those shorts left little to Beca's imagination. The shorts were paired with Beca's favorite hoodie. It was navy blue and worn enough to be the most comfortable one she owned. It was the one she got 7 years ago when she joined Squad 61 and the letters saying just that were starting to fade across the back. Chloe disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Beca alone to wonder what the hell was going on.

Chloe leaned across the bathroom counter so her face was closer to the mirror. She gently whiped the sleep out of her eye and took stock of her face. She had washed her make up off last night before she got in bed. She ran her finger down the scar on her forehead and then straightened up. She grabbed the mouthwash that was on the side of the sink and took a couple small sips. She swished the green minty liquid around in her mouth and then spit it in the sink. Chloe turned on the water and watched as it all washed away. She gathered up her clothes from yesterday and opened the bathroom door to see that Beca hadn't moved.

"What do you mean I sleep weird?" Beca asked her voice heavy from sleep.

"You don't even sleep under the covers. As soon as we came in here, you laid down on your back and you didn't move the rest of the night." Chloe answered.

"I don't like to be hot." Beca replied. "And it hurts to lay any other way than this." She knew that wasn't 100% true. She usually laid on her back every night, no matter what injuries she may have at the time.

"I have to get home so I can shower and get to school on time." Chloe said as she made her way to Beca's bedroom door. She turned to look at the firefighter that laid perfectly still looking up at the ceiling. "I really had a great time last night." Chloe said softly.

Beca turned her head slowly to face her.

"I hope we can do it again?" Chloe asked.

Beca looked at her not offering an answer. She liked the way Chloe looked in her clothes. She didn't trust herself to say anything fearing that an awkward compliment would fly out of her mouth. Friends was what she kept repeating in her brain. She wants to be friends over and over. On repeat.

Chloe was a little disappointed that Beca didn't respond to her request, "There are left overs in the fridge." She said softly.

Still no reaction.

Chloe left the apartment with a frown. Not only did she still not understand why she wanted to be close to the brunette but she was no closer to knowing anything about the girl that consumed her thoughts. The girl that made her feel safe by just being in the same room as her. The girl that made her heart beat fast and her stomach flutter. The girl that she needed to know. And the girl that didn't seem to have any of those same feelings towards her. Maybe this day wasn't going to be so great after all.

 **XxXxXx**

Aubrey stood at the kitchen counter with a clear view of the front door. She grabbed her coffee mug with both hands and brought it to her lips.

Chloe slid her key in the lock and turned it slowly. She pushed the door open hoping to not make any noise. Hoping to sneak in.

"And where have you been?" Aubrey asked loudly letting Chloe know that she was busted. She placed her coffee mug down on the counter as Chloe looked up with a guilty look on her face.

Chloe turned to close the door and hand her purse on the hook on the entry closet door.

"Really Chloe?" Aubrey asked reading the back of her sweatshirt.

"What?" Chloe turned around and asked.

"You spent the night with Beca?" Aubrey said disapprovingly.

Chloe didn't reply.

"Or is there another member of Squad 61 you're seeing?" Aubrey asked sarcastically.

"How?" Chloe started to ask.

"It's on the back of the sweatshirt Chlo." Aubrey rolled her eyes.

Chloe didn't know that. She saw it hanging in Beca's closet and saw the firefighter shield on the left chest and slid it off the hanger and on. She didn't look at the back.

"Are you going to admit you're more than friends?" Aubrey asked.

"No. Because we're not." Chloe said as she made her way past her best friend and towards her bedroom. She only had an hour to get showered, dressed and to work.

"You're wearing her clothes."

Chloe frowned hearing Aubrey behind her. Chloe threw yesterday's work clothes in her clothes hamper and turned on the shower before making her way back out of the bathroom and into her room where Aubrey stood with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I didn't have anything to sleep in so I borrowed some clothes." Chloe said as she unzipped the sweatshirt that she immediately loved, as soon as she put it on, and tossed it on her bed with the intention of putting it on as soon as she got home from work.

"At least you're wearing a bra." Aubrey spat.

Chloe rolled her eyes and went to her dresser to pull out a new pair of underwear and bra to wear to work. Aubrey watched the redhead who was wearing her tan bra and a pair of grey shorts walk into the bathroom and close the door behind her.

Aubrey listened for the shower door to be pulled closed. As soon as she heard it she went into the bathroom.

"Seriously Chloe. What's the deal?" Aubrey asked leaning up against the sink.

"Oh my God." Chloe said as she ran her hands over her hair soothing it out as the water hit her head. She wiped some water off her face with her free hand, "Why does it matter Bree? Why don't you like Beca?"

"She's a jerk, for one." Aubrey answered immediately as if she were dying for Chloe to ask. "And she's not good enough for you."

"Really?" Chloe asked. "How do you know? You don't even know her because if you did you would know she's anything but a jerk." Chloe defended Beca quickly even though she was kind of a jerk to her this morning.

"What about Luke?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe rubbed the shampoo through her hair, scratching her scalp with her finger nails. She leaned back into the water stream to rinse it out. "What about Luke?" Chloe countered quickly.

"Didn't you go out with him last weekend?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah, so?" Chloe said as she reached for her loofah, squeezing a small amount of lavender bath wash on it.

"So you went out with him and then what, 3 days later, your sleeping with Beca Mitchell?" Aubrey asked in a condescending tone.

She lathered the soap all over her body and rolled her eyes, "Not that it's any of your business but I didn't sleep with Beca. We are just friends. She was banged up from the fire. I went over and cooked her dinner. I had a few glasses of wine and didn't want to drive home. I fell asleep. Got up this morning and came home. That's it." Chloe recapped leaving out the part about helping her take her shirt off and definitely the part about sleeping in her bed. "And I don't like Luke like that. Yes, he's nice but I just want to be friends. I'm not looking for a relationship with anyone Aubrey." Chloe said rinsing all the soap from her body. She reached forward and turned the water off.

Chloe opened the frosted glass shower door wide enough to reach her towel that was hanging on a hook on the front of the shower door, bringing it to her face to wipe the water off then wrapping it around her body, securing it just above her chest. "So you can give it a rest." Chloe said as she stepped out of the shower coming face to face with her best friend.

Aubrey studied her. She didn't know if she should believe Chloe or if Chloe even believed Chloe. She narrowed her eyes for a moment and then exited the bathroom with a huff.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca groaned. The pounding on her door was growing louder by the second. She glanced towards her clock hoping that maybe it was late enough in the afternoon to be Chloe. "You're such a loser" She chastised herself. It was 1:28pm. Chloe would still be at school.

Beca sat up slowly. It was still painful and she was due back on shift in 48 hours. Whoever was at the door sounded like they were about to bust through it. "I'm fucking coming. Damn" She said only loud enough for her to hear.

She finally made it to her door holding her hand under her right arm. It seemed to allow her to move faster. She pulled the door open to see Jesse, red fisted, the Stacie peek out from behind him.

"Oh good. You're both here." Beca said grumpily.

"What the fuck Beca. We've been trying to get a hold of you for two days." Stacie said angrily as she stomped through the door.

"Come in" Beca breathed under her breath after they both let themselves in her apartment.

The stood looking at her expectantly.

"What? I've been sleeping." Mostly true she thought. "Those pills make me sleepy."

Stacie made her way over to the bottle Beca pointed at pulling it open and dumping them out on the counter. "You've taken two." Stacie replied. "And I gave you one of them."

"So?" Beca was getting upset. She was in pain and she was tired and she didn't want to see them. She wanted Chloe. She shook that thought out of her head quickly. "What are you doing here?" She asked them.

That's when she noticed Jesse had something in his hand. He unfolded the newspaper to present to her.

"Have you eaten?" Stacie asked in a softer tone than when she first arrived. Beca looked to her but didn't answer as Stacie made her way over to the refrigerator. Beca heard her phone ringing for the thousandth time in two days as Jesse stood in front of her holding the front page article out for her to read the headline.

Chloe was just settling back from lunch when Tom knocked on the door frame of her classroom.

"Hey" She greeted him.

"Have you seen this?" Tom asked holding the newspaper in his hand. Chloe looked at it and shook her head. She didn't normally buy a newspaper but she had made a recent habit of reading the headlines while she waited for her morning coffee at the coffee shop on her way to school. But today she was in a hurry and didn't have a chance to go out of her way for her morning brew. Plus she knew for a fact that Beca wouldn't be there.

"No" She replied.

Tom made his way into the classroom and placed the paper face up on her desk.

Chloe's heart stopped beating for a least five minutes. Or so it felt like it.

 _'_ _Police confirm High Rise Apartment fire and Daycare fire are connected'_

Chloe looked at the picture of the building with flames shooting out of it. "Lucas Bowers" She said reading the by-line.

"Can you believe this?" Tom asked. "They really think these two things are connected? This apartment building wasn't even in Hidden Hills."

Chloe shrugged. She couldn't believe what she was reading and looking at. "Can I have this? To read the article? I'll give it back to you." She asked.

"Yeah, sure. Don't worry about it. Keep it." He said looking at her closely. "You okay?"

"Hum?" She looked up.

"Are you feeling okay? You look kind of pale." He asked.

"I'm okay. Fine." She said quickly. She was thankful the bell rang just then.

"Okay, well let me know if you need anything." The math teacher said as he walked towards the door and out of her classroom. She pulled her phone from her purse and quickly pulled up Beca's number that she stored in her phone last night when the brunette was sleeping. She pressed call and hoped that Beca was awake.

Beca stood reading the headline again. And then again. "Someone is doing this on purpose?" She asked angrily looking up at Jesse.

"Beca?" Stacie said from inside the kitchen. "Who cooked?"

 **XxXxXx**

"Stop looking at me" Beca warned Jesse.

"Chloe cooked you dinner? At your apartment?" He teased.

Beca pinched the bridge of her nose gently. "Where the fuck is Amy?" Beca breathed.

"Everything okay?" Jesse asked Stacie who joined them in the office after using the restroom. At least that was her excuse. Jesse figured she needed a moment to herself after stumbling upon evidence that Beca had Chloe over to her apartment.

"Yeah" She said giving him a weird look after composing herself in the restroom.

"Ah and what do I owe the honor of Hidden Hills finest?" Amy said as she walked into her office at the police station. "Oh wait, that's not you guys, that's actually me." She teased them.

"The fires. They are related?" Beca asked cutting to the chase. She needed to hear the facts and then she wanted to get back to her apartment. It was their job to put the fires out, not catch the person who was setting them.

Amy sighed heavily. "We think so."

"Because of?" Beca asked leading her to explain.

"At both scenes the fittings and seals on the pipes were tampered with." Amy began to explain. She reached into her draw and pulled out a manila envelope. She opened it and laid out several photographs. "Crime lab has matched the grooves made on the pipes at the different scenes to the same tool. The safety valves at each site were also tampered with. That's why the apartment fire deteriorated so quickly. There wasn't a way to shut off the gas so one by one, the hot water heaters in the apartments began to blow." Amy explained making an explosion sound with her mouth and mimicking it with her hands.

Beca and Jesse looked closely at the crime scene photos that Amy laid out as Stacie paced the room with her arms crossed over her chest listening.

"Forensics also found traces of acetone at each location in similar areas. Splashed on walls, doors, all around the water heaters." Amy added.

"And you guys have no idea who is doing this?" Jesse asked looking up at Amy.

"No. We got nothing." She admitted. "The two locations weren't relatable at all. One was full of kids and one was an upscale apartment building in another town. We checked the residents and none of them have kids enrolled in that daycare. No residents worked at that day care. The owners of the locations are different, builders are different, tenants have no connection. Other than the source of the fire, these markings and the accelerants, we can't link the two scenes."

Beca sat back gently in her chair. "So we have to wait for him to set another building on fire? To put more innocent people in danger?" She asked.

"To put us in danger?" Stacie added.

"That's all we have." Amy answered.

 **XxXxXx**

"Chloe!" Tom yelled across the parking lot.

Chloe heard her name being called and turned back. She didn't really have time to talk with Tom. She wanted to stop by Beca's apartment on her way home and show her the newspaper article. She had called her a couple of times during the day but the brunette never answered.

"Hey" he said as he slowed his jog after reaching her. "Do you want to go grab a drink with me? Maybe dinner?" He asked.

"Oh, Tom" Chloe said with a frown. "It's really not a good night. I have somewhere I need to be."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry. I should have known." He smiled politely. "Maybe another time, yeah?"

"Yeah sure" Chloe agreed. "See you tomorrow" she said waiving before turning and quickly walking to her car. Once inside she pulled her phone from her jacket pocket and dialed Beca again. She was ready to leave another voice message when Beca picked up.

"Hello?" Beca mumbled into the phone line.

"Beca hi, it's Chloe." Chloe said quickly.

"Yeah, I know. I guess you saved your number in my phone." Beca replied. "And your picture."

Chloe smiled. She had forgotten that last night after Beca fell asleep she took her photo in Beca's hoodie and saved it as her profile picture in the brunette's phone.

"Yeah, so have you seen the newspaper today?" Chloe asked moving on.

"Yes." Beca answered shortly.

Chloe waited but didn't hear anything on the other line. "So do you think it's true? That it's an arsonist?"

Beca let out a slow and steady breath. "I don't know Chloe." She answered honestly. "It really doesn't matter."

"It doesn't matter?" Chloe replied almost offended. "Beca innocent people have died. Of course it matters." Chloe scolded.

Beca sat silently with the phone to her ear. She made eye contact with Jesse who sat across from her on the sofa in her apartment.

"You're not going to say anything?" Chloe asked quickly as her frustration with the Lieutenant grew.

Beca felt bad, she really did. She hated that some asshole was out there setting these fires. That someone was responsible for killing people, kids, and for putting her friends lives in danger but she didn't want to admit anything to Chloe. She didn't want the redhead mixed up in any of this. She didn't want Chloe to be upset if something happened to her. This is why she kept her distance from people. She had the power to hurt them and she didn't want that. She didn't want to hurt anyone.

"Unbelievable" Chloe whispered angrily into the phone. She reached forward and started her car. A sadness washed over her as she sat back in her seat. "Who are you? I mean really?" She asked softly into the phone.

Beca swallowed and blinked slowly.

"I thought" Chloe paused. "I don't know, I guess I thought you were someone else. I thought maybe you were different."

Beca's heart felt heavy. She did care. She did want to find out who this fucker was and kill him herself if she could. She did want to protect people. Protect her mom. Protect Chloe. And that's exactly what she was doing as she continued to be silent, letting Chloe go down her own road of discovery. Discovering who she thought Beca to be was a façade. Beca could be that for her, if it kept her out of this. Maybe this psycho was into hurting kids, into hurting families, into watching things burn and people be in pain, but what if he just wanted to hurt firefighters. Beca knew that could involve the people she loved, the people she cared for and she wouldn't allow that to happen. At least with Jesse and Stacie, they were with her most of the time. She could save them. She would save them.

"Say something" Chloe begged.

Jesse looked away as Beca's eyes glossed over. The expression on her face was as if she just got punched 20 times in the face. It was pained. He didn't want to see his best friend that way.

Chloe waited. Waited for anything. A breath. A word. Anything but nothing ever came. She looked up to the roof of her car as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Bye Beca." She said softly.

* * *

 **AN: Another update. Yay! I'm off tomorrow so hopefully I'll have some time to get a bunch of writing done... motivate me with your reviews of this chapter. Let me have it ...**


	8. Chapter 8

"Light Duty Mitchell." Chief Smith ordered.

Beca shook her head slightly.

"Something to say?" He asked.

"No Sir." Beca asked as she stood in his office.

"Dismissed." He ordered.

She made her way back to the dorms and passed Jesse's room. He sat up as she walked past the door.  
"Hey Beca" he called.

She stopped and backed up to stand in the doorway.

"Released to work?" He knew by the way she was standing with her shoulder slumped forward that she wasn't.

"Light duty" She mumbled.

"Does he really expect you to not get on that truck if the alarm sounds?" Jesse asked. Light duty was a joke. It was busy work. It was cleaning around the house. It was organizing. It was preparing the trucks but it was not responding to calls. They hated being put on light duty. But physically, Beca wasn't ready to respond. She was still very sore around her ribs. Her eye was beginning to fade but it was very noticeable.

"You'll be back soon." Jesse said trying to sound positive. "Hey, have you seen Stacie around?" He asked changing the subject.

"She was in the ambulance bay with CR." Beca answered. Stacie had been keeping her distance since learning that Chloe had made her dinner. She was jealous. Beca knew it but she knew Stacie would eventually get over it. She always did.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe got home from school and went straight to her room. She undressed from her work clothes, got in the shower, and then into comfortable sweats. Which included Beca's hoodie. She was happy it was Thursday and tomorrow was a student/teacher holiday so she didn't have school. She knew Beca went back to work today but she hadn't spoken to the firefighter since the one sided phone conversation. Chloe sulked for the last two days and had every intention of doing it for her long weekend.

Aubrey had other plans.

"Nope" She said entering the redhead's room seeing her in her sweats. "We're going out. Dancing at the club. Get dressed."

"I don't want to" Chloe said as she sat on her bed with her legs crossed indian style front of her.

"That's funny. I didn't ask you." Aubrey scoffed. She went over to Chloe's closet and looked through it quickly pulling out an outfit, re-emerging and tossing it on Chloe's bed. "You've been seriously moping around her like you just got your heart broken and I don't remember you telling me you were seeing anyone. In fact I remember you continuously denying your feelings for one jackass firefighter. So get your cute ass up. Put this on. Look smoking hot and let's go out. Luke will be there." Aubrey said as she began to walk out of the room to get dressed herself. "Take advantage of that" she tossed over her shoulder.

Chloe held up the black sleeveless mini dress. It represented someone she wasn't anymore. She should have left this dress behind in Atlanta like she left that other girl. The one she could become in a moment's notice. The one that looked exactly like her but had nothing in common with. "Maybe just for a night" Chloe whispered to herself.

A few hours later Chloe found herself dancing with her backside pressed up against Luke. This night was leading somewhere, somewhere she knew she shouldn't go but she knew she'd end up there anyway. Chloe had enough drinks in her to end up back at his place but not enough to not be able to consent. He turned her around roughly and pulled her up against him. She felt his hands slide down her back towards her ass squeezing tightly. Her hand was around his neck pulling him down to her forcefully. She was losing herself. In the music. In the alcohol. In him. It didn't matter anymore. Everything else faded away.

"Let's get out of here" She whispered as she pulled away from him slightly.

 **XxXxXx**

It was a quite night in the house. No calls. Beca found herself in the gym a couple of times throughout the sleepless shift, working on her breathing. Working through the pain. Working through her thoughts. Working through Chloe's disappointed voice in her head.

After a quick shower and change into fresh uniform clothes it was almost seven in the morning. Most of the house was up but she wasn't ready to be with anyone yet. She slipped out of the house and headed down the street towards the coffee shop. Beca slid her hands in her pockets as she walked down the street. Admiring the colors the sky was turning as the sun rose. It was forecasted to be another perfect day in southern California. She made it to the coffee shop and greeted the usual barista and ordered her favorite and then stepped to the side to wait. The coffee shop was buzzing on a Friday morning with people stopping to get their caffeine fix before heading to work. Beca didn't want to get in their way so she waited quietly in the corner for her name to be called.

"You really could have stayed at my place." Luke said as he rode in the backseat of an UBER with Chloe. "I feel bad for getting you up early just because I have to get to work." He said sweetly as he reached for her hand.

The feel of his skin on hers pulled her head away from the window and towards him. She smiled and hoped he didn't expect her to answer because she hadn't been listening to him. She just wanted to get home.

"Hey actually can you make a left on the next street?" He said to the driver who acknowledged by looking in the rear view mirror and nodding at him. "There is the great little coffee place right up here." He smiled.

Chloe's heart sank. She hadn't been there all week and didn't really want to go now.

"We have time for a bite to eat for breakfast." He offered as the UBER pulled up to the curb. He paid the driver and then got out of the car quickly, jogging over to Chloe's side and pulling the door open for her. He offered his hand.

She felt completely out of place. She was in her club dress from last night that had been laying in a ball on Luke's floor less than an hour ago. He was dressed in slacks, a button down shirt and a tie. She was making the walk of shame and everyone who looked her direction knew it. She did her best to smooth out her hair and fix her smudged makeup this morning but she knew she was looking trashy. An UBER home would have been just fine but now he expected her to sit and have breakfast. The car pulled away before she had a chance to say anything so she let Luke lead her into the coffee shop.

"Here you go Lieutenant" The barista called out to Beca who stood off to the side. She had seen Chloe through the window. She saw Luke help her out of the car and lead her inside just as the barista called for her. She looked away from Chloe quickly and towards the young woman holding her coffee. The look on Chloe's face when she heard the word Lieutenant was of pure terror. She didn't want to make it worse.

Luke thought differently. He pulled Chloe over towards her quickly.

"Lieutenant Mitchell" He said addressing her formally.

She accepted her coffee and smiled at the woman behind the counter before dropping a couple of dollars in the plastic tip jar. "Thank you." She said softly and then turned to the blonde man.

"Mr. Bowers." Beca acknowledged. She made eye contact with Chloe and then let her eyes slide down to their joined hands and back up quickly. There was no doubt in Beca's mind about where Chloe had spent last night.

"Can I ask you a few questions about the apartment fire on Monday?" He asked.

"Actually, I need to be heading back to work." She replied politely.

He didn't take no for an answer as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, quickly opening the voice recorder app and holding it out in front of her. "Do you believe the apartment fire and the day care fires were related?"

Beca looked away from Chloe and to him, her glare hardened. "If you'll excuse me Mr. Bowers. I need to get back." She said as she tried to step around him but he stepped with her dragging Chloe with him.

"You responded to both fires, did you see anything that was suspicious?" He asked.

Again she tried to slip past him but he moved with her.

"Do you think it was arson? When do you think the arsonist will strike again? Who is he targeting?" He asked loudly earning onlookers from the crowd waiting for their morning coffee.

"Luke" Chloe whispered as she pulled his arm down towards her and reached up to wrap her left hand around his forearm. She leaned forward and kissed his shoulder begging him to stop with her bright blue eyes. By the time Luke looked away from Chloe, Beca was gone.

Beca couldn't walk any faster back to the fire station. Once she got there she tossed her full coffee into the trash can and marched straight to the chief's office.

"He's not in" the secretary said as she saw Beca approach. "You can wait." She pointed to the small couch that sat outside his office. Beca sat down on the sofa hard and crossed her arms to wait. She was angry. Angry at Luke for asking her questions after she told him she had to go. Angry at seeing Chloe like that. Angry at herself for thinking that she possibly had a chance with Chloe. Angry at seeing Chloe kiss his shoulder but she couldn't control any of that. But she could get back on full duty. If there was a call today, she was going. She would convince the Chief to let her back on.

 **XxXxXx**

"This has been the worst three day shift I've ever worked." Beca moaned as she sat across from Jesse at the dining room table. "One fender bender that we shouldn't have even been called to. And two false alarms at the same fucking building because some idiot can't change the batteries in the smoke detector."

"But it was good to have an easy shift. Especially after the last shift." Jesse argued. He glanced at the clock. Only 2 hours remaining before the shift change. "Headed to Stacie's tonight?" he asked.

"Probably not" Beca answered quickly. "She's still keeping her distance."

Jesse gave her a questioning look.

"The Chloe thing." Beca answered without him asking. "But there's no thing. Never was."

Jesse sat quietly, he was just going to ask. "Why won't you give Stacie a chance?"

Beca shrugged. She was honestly shocked he hadn't asked before. "She's like a sister to me. I mean, it would be like me and you getting together."

They both sat looking at each other while they digested the last comment Beca made.

"That's" Jesse said quietly. "Fucking disgusting. Please never suggest that again."

"See. That's what it's like when I think about Stacie." Beca shook her head. "She's great and I love her but just, no."

"Any you won't give Chloe a chance because?" Jesse asked.

"Well." Beca held up a finger. "One, I saw her yesterday at the coffee shop with Luke. They were holding hands and she kissed him, so she isn't interested in me or if she was she moved on." She added a finger to the first one, "What if there is an arsonist out there? Already dangerous calls become almost impossible to survive and I don't want anyone else to get hurt. Physically or emotionally."

"You know," Jesse scoffed. "It's actually refreshing to hear you not deny your feelings for Chloe. Honesty for a change." He teased. "I like the look of honest on you."

This time Beca dropped her first finger leaving only her middle finger in the air.

"But seriously. Stacie's?" He asked again. "It will be fun. Just us. Just family." Jesse said referring to the men and women of House 72. "Let's have a couple of beers, sit by the fire pit and relax."

 **XxXxXx**

"Knock, knock" Aubrey said as she stood behind Chloe's door pushing it open slowly.

Chloe couldn't hear her over her headphones.

"Chlo" Aubrey said louder to the redhead who wasn't facing her. She didn't want to sneak up on her and scare her. "Chlo!"

Chloe jumped slightly and turned toward the door in her paint splattered and stained overalls. She placed the long wooden paint brush in between her teeth and reached up to pull her headphones off her ears and let them rest around her neck. "You scared me" Chloe said after taking the paintbrush out of her mouth.

"I've barely seen you in two days Chlo." Aubrey said as she took a seat on the edge of Chloe's bed. "Are you okay?" Aubrey peaked around Chloe to the canvas she had been diligently working on. It was two hands facing palms up appearing to catch as much falling water as they possibly could. She could see dirt under the fingernails and up the wrists as the water seemed to be being used to cleanse the subject's hands. It was very detailed and beautiful and dark.

"Um, yeah. I'm okay." Chloe said as she continued shading colors through the water.

"Because I think you've only been out of the room to eat like once. In two day." Aubrey said her voice laced with concern.

Chloe sighed. "I'm fine really. I just needed some time to get my head around things."

"Like?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe sat her paint brush and color palette down on her easel and turned back towards Aubrey.

"The other night." Chloe admitted softly. "I went home with Luke and I shouldn't have."

"I thought you liked him" Aubrey replied gently, she could tell her friend was in a fragile state.

"I do but just as a friend. I was feeling" Chloe paused, she wasn't sure what she was feeling. "Weird" is what she settled on. "And I thought that maybe I'd feel better after?" She made a face as if she were disgusted with herself. "And you don't help. Pushing me towards him."

"Me?" Aubrey questioned.

"Yes, you. You've been pushing Luke on me since I moved here." Chloe argued.

"Sorry" Aubrey stretched out, "Geez. I thought it would be nice for you to have a nice guy around for a change."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Well, now it's going to be harder for him to understand that I don't want to be with him. And that's not your fault, it's mine. I shouldn't have gone home with him. He's probably going to be pissed and hate me."

"I'm sure he'll be upset and hurt but not pissed off Chlo." Aubrey replied.

"He looked kind of pissed after our first date when I told him I only wanted to be friends." Chloe revealed.

"Really?" Aubrey asked. "He doesn't seem like that guy."

Chloe shrugged. "I've been out with him once and had sex with him once and I can honestly say I don't know what kind of guy he really is." Chloe shook her head disappointed in herself. "What does that say about me?"

"Just that you made a mistake." Aubrey said softly as she reached out for her friend's hand.

Chloe took her friends hand. She needed the comfort. Aubrey pulled her towards the bed, catching Chloe off guard. She stumbled into Aubrey's arms and the blonde rolled them onto the bed through a fit of giggles. Chloe rested her head on Aubrey's shoulder as their laughing fizzled out.

"I'm sorry about pushing Luke on you." Aubrey whispered guiltily.

"It's not your fault." Chloe sighed.

"Is there anything I can do?" Aubrey asked.

"There isn't really anything to do."

"Are you going to tell him it was a mistake?" Aubrey asked.

"I was hoping to just stay in here and never come out." Chloe joked.

"Okay, so Jessica called and asked if we wanted to go over."

Chloe sighed heavily. "Bree."

"No, just listen. We can go. I'm sure he'll be there and we can get it over with." Aubrey tried to reason.

"We?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, I'll be there with you. And then if you want to leave, we'll leave." Aubrey smiled as she squeezed Chloe tightly.

 **XxXxXx**

As soon as Beca walked out of Stacie's house and into her back yard a beer was thrown in her direction by the tall paramedic who smiled warmly in her direction. Beca smirked and winked a signature wink and Stacie went back to talking to CR. Beca felt better knowing that she and Stacie were alright. She made her way over to Jesse and Theo who sat in with their legs stretched out in front of them talking with Amy.

"Hey losers." Beca greeted stepping down the two steps and joining the group.

"You're in a better mood." Jesse said with a smile in his best friend's direction.

She nodded in agreement as she twisted off the cap of her beer and tossed it into the fire pit in front of them. She tilted her head back and let the amber liquid run down her throat. She was especially relieved that when she pulled up to Stacie's, Jessica's house was quite for a Saturday at 4 in the afternoon. Beca's eyes focused on the flames dancing in the pit in front of her. She took notice of the shifting shapes they took. The way they fed off of each other. The sounds of the popping and crackling, the smell, it was familiar but so unfamiliar. She always thought fire was beautiful. The way it floated and rolled but it was also evil, the way it ate whatever was in its path. It discriminated against no one. It was an equal opportunity destroyer. She loved it for it's beauty and hated it for it's destruction at the same time.

"Earth to Beca" Amy said as she waived her hand in the air.

"What?" Beca asked as she shook her head.

"I asked how you were feeling. You were pretty banged up the last time I saw you." Amy asked.

"I'm fine." Beca said bringing the bottle to her lips again sucking down more liquid.

The roar of a motorcycle engine rang through the air causing Beca to drain the bottle completely. She stood to go find another beer.

"You okay?" Stacie asked joining her at the cooler. "You made quick work of that."

"Yeah." Beca answered quickly as she fished a bottle out from under the ice. She twisted the top and handed it to Stacie who gladly accepted it. Then she dug back in for one for herself. Just as she was putting her new beer to her lips, Jessica's face popped up over the fence.

"Hey neighbor!" She said perkily to Stacie who responded in the same manner.

"Hey yourself."

"Wanna join parties?" Jessica asked.

Stacie shrugged and accepted. She didn't have a pool but Jessica did and Jessica didn't have a suken fire pit constructed by her brothers and sisters of House 72 but Stacie did. When you put their yards together, they had the perfect outdoor hang out. It wouldn't be the first time they joined parties to enjoy each other's groups of friends and each other's backyards. They had a section of fence taken out and a large gate put in its place for easy access. Jessica unlatched the gate and pulled her section back.

"Awesome. Luke's gonna fire up the grill. We got burgers." Jessica said happily.

Theo hopped up from his place on the stone seat and hustled towards the fence to help Jessica open the other section. Luke eyed him. "Let me" He offered gentlemanly. Jessica smiled and let the strong man open the gate. "Do you need any more food? I can run out to the store." He offered.

Luke's phone rang loudly and he fished it out of his pocket. "Hey babe" He answered.

Beca rolled her eyes and turned away from him and back towards the fire pit.

"Yeah, I'm already here." He answered. "Okay, see you in a bit." Then he hung up. "Chloe and Aubrey are heading over soon." He said towards his sister.

"Yeah, come on lover boy" Amy said walking up from behind Theo who continued to offer his help to Jessica. "Drive me. We'll pick up some more drinks and some more food. You know how all those skinny bitches can eat" She teased.

"Thanks Theo" Jessica smiled.

Beca sat next to Jesse. She sunk down as she continued to drink her beer. "More than just family" She said under her breath.

"I'm sorry Becs. I didn't know." He said honestly.

"I know." Beca sighed.

A few hours later and the sun was beginning to set. Food was steadily rolling off the grill and the alcohol was flowing. Beca held her position firmly and her butt was starting to hurt from sitting on the stone seats that surrounded the pit. She had seen Chloe walk into Jessica's yard with her arm laced with Aubrey. She had a perfect view into the pool section of the party that was lit with string lights and tiki torches. She followed red hair with her eyes subtly, at least so she thought. She thought it was weird that since Chloe's arrival she was rarely with Luke. It almost seemed as if she was avoiding him. Aubrey was never far from her side either, like her shadow.

"Another one?" Jesse asked. He had been making beer runs to the cooler for his best friend all night. He knew she didn't want to run into Chloe.

Beca held up her bottle and drained the last of it before handing the empty bottle to him and nodding.

Stacie startled her when she settled down beside her. "You should really just go and talk to her." Stacie said with a nudge to Beca's shoulder, then she remembered, "Oh I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"Relax" Beca said with a smile. "I'm fine."

"So" Stacie nudged her again. "Go talk to her."

Beca turned to look at Stacie, finally taking her eyes of the redhead in the yard next door. She looked up at her, "There's"

Stacie interrupted her, "Don't start. Look, I know you like her" Stacie smiled. "And it's okay. You deserve to be with someone Beca. You're amazing." Stacie whispered. "So?" Stacie asked. "Stop denying that you like her because it's obvious you do. What's stopping you from talking to her?"

"Luke" Beca answered honestly.

"Why Luke?" Stacie asked.

"They are together so" Beca hesitated as Jesse came back holding a fresh beer out for her.

"Maybe, but it looks like there's trouble in paradise." Stacie said watching across the yard.

Beca followed Stacie's eyes. She was off the stone seat and moving quickly before she could process what her next move was going to be. She could feel Jesse right behind her as always.

"It was a mistake" Chloe whispered to Luke. She had finally worked up the courage to tell him the truth. "I'm sorry if I mislead you."

"Mislead me?" Luke asked loudly. He looked over Chloe's shoulder to Aubrey who was staring intently at them. He looked back to Chloe and grabbed her upper harm tightly pulling her out of the yard.

"Luke, that hurts" Chloe said her voice breaking with fear.

"All I've heard for months is Chloe this and Chloe that and how Chloe will be perfect for me and then you fucking string me along and then sleep with me for what? Fun?" He was seething. "No, that's not how this is going to go."

"Luke, please" Chloe said as she tried to pull from his tight grip.

"Let her go" Beca warned coming from the side of Stacie house.

Luke stopped quickly. He dropped Chloe's arm and she was quickly enveloped by Aubrey's arms. "Or what?" Luke said stepping up to Beca, challenging her.

He towered over her but she didn't back down. She narrowed her eyes and took an internal assessment. She was just drunk enough to not care what happened but not enough to not be able to handle herself. She smirked at him. "Or else" She challenged.

Chloe turned away from Aubrey to watch Luke and Beca. The rest of the party members had assembled behind their respective friends.

Luke scoffed in her face. "I'll hand it to you Mitchell, you're as crazy as they say you are. But" he sized her up. "You're no match for me, so why don't you take your ass back over to your friend's house and leave me and my girlfriend alone."

Beca looked around him to Chloe who stood wide eyed looking on. Chloe shook her head slightly begging Beca to not engage with him.

Beca brought her eyes back to him. "See, I think that's where you're wrong."

"How's that?" He asked angrily.

"I don't think she wants to be your girlfriend anymore." Beca challenged him. She was guessing but the way he was dragging her out of the party, the way she was trying to pull against him and the way Aubrey was following them with fear in her eyes, gave her the confidence to guess. "If she was at all in the first place."

"She didn't seem to mind when I was fucking her." Luke practically spat in her face.

Chloe's eyes filled with tears. She felt so dirty. So low.

Beca's fist clenched instantly.

Luke leaned forward to whisper, "Little slut likes it hard and rough."

He was just leaning away when Beca's fist landed squarely on his nose. The cracking sound was loud. Like someone had broken a wooden board. He stumbled back but was able to regain his footing. His right hand flew up to his face. When he pulled it away, it was covered in blood. He lunged for Beca but was met with Jesse and Theo's arms around him pushing him backwards.

"Walk away Luke" Jesse warned.

"Luke" Jessica called to her brother. He struggled momentarily with Jesse and Theo but eventually tired. "Bring him in the house." Jessica ordered.

"Go check on Beca please" Chloe turned to ask Aubrey quickly.

"Where are you going?" Aubrey asked.

"To check on Luke."

"I don't think that's a good idea Chlo" Aubrey said gently.

"He won't do anything with his sister around. And Jesse's there." Chloe said. "Please, check on Beca."

Aubrey nodded and Chloe quickly went towards the house where Jesse and Theo pulled Luke.

Beca saw Chloe run after Luke and her heart broke. It was actually painfully. Maybe that wasn't it. Maybe he was able to punch her in the stomach before Jesse got to him and that's why should couldn't breathe. But he didn't get a chance to hit her. Chloe following after him was enough to knock the breath out of her.

"Beca" Aubrey whispered softly. Beca looked fragile as if she could crumble into a million pieces. "Let me look at your hand"

Dark blue eyes slowly moved from where Chloe had fled to towards her blonde best friend. She shook her head. "I'm" She cleared her throat, "I'm fine."

"Oh I'm sorry" Aubrey rebutted, "I didn't mean it as a request Mitchell."

Beca narrowed her eyes and glared at Aubrey.

"Come on Becs" Stacie said softly.

Beca didn't know she was beside her till she spoke. "Let's go in the house. Let Bree look at it."

"Chloe asked me to." Aubrey whispered hoping it would calm the firefighter, which it visibly did.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca sat leaning back on the windshield on the hood of her jeep. Her right hand was playing with the label of the beer bottle it held while her left throbbed and rested in her lap. Not long after she was brought into Stacie's house to have Aubrey look at her hand, Jesse had returned to tell them that Jessica was bringing Luke to the hospital to have his broken nose set. The party seemed to fizzle out at that point, only a few people were hanging around waiting for Jessica and Luke to get back. Beca hadn't seen Chloe since she followed Luke in the house and assumed she accompanied them to the hospital. She needed some space from everyone else so she found herself on her jeep waiting. She wasn't sure what she was waiting for. Maybe for Jesse to say he was leaving or for Stacie to send her home relieving her of any clean up duty either way, she stayed there leaned up against her windshield nursing her warm beer.

"You can't just do that you know."

Beca's head turned slowly towards the redhead who stood next to her jeep.

"You can't just go around punching people." Chloe scolded with her arms crossed across her chest. She had been inside Stacie's talking to the paramedic for the last hour about everything that had happened with Luke that lead up to tonight. She had apologized profusely to Jessica for everything that happened before she took Luke to the hospital and then marched straight over to Stacie's to do the same. She wasn't expecting the tall brunette to pull her aside and ask what her intentions with Beca were.

"I didn't think you were here." Beca said her voice rough. She brought the bottle to her lips to moisten her vocal cords. She watched as Chloe rounded the front of the vehicle and crawled up on the hood next to her.

"Is your hand okay?" Chloe asked softly.

Beca nodded.

Chloe reached over and pulled the beer bottle from her hand and brought it to her own lips. She cringed as she swallowed the warm liquid.

"Are you okay?" Beca asked.

Chloe handed her back the beer bottle.

"I think so." Chloe breathed. She turned to look at Beca, her blue eyes soft, "thank you."

Beca nodded slowly.

"He could have really hurt you." Chloe whispered softly.

"I'm not afraid of Luke Bowers." Beca laughed. "It wasn't our first run in. It won't be our last."

"Not your first?" Chloe questioned. "Care to explain."

Beca shrugged.

"Oh that's right. We don't talk about you. I almost forgot." Chloe said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay and say thank you." Chloe said as she pushed herself down the hood and off the vehicle. "I'll leave you alone."

Chloe made it to the curb when she heard Beca's plea, "Wait. Don't go." She turned back towards the brunette. Chloe stood her ground. She crossed her arms over her chest again waiting for Beca to say something.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your boyfriend." It came out sarcastic and unnecessary.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "He's not my boyfriend. Try again."

Beca swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "I was watching you." Beca admitted softly. Chloe didn't expect that and she softened slightly dying to hear more. "Tonight. I came here and was relieved when you weren't here." Beca shook her head and took a long swig of her beer. She was going to need it if she were going to get through this. "I've spent the last two days trying to get the image of you and him out of my head." She turned her head to meet Chloe's gaze. "At the coffee shop."

Chloe nodded in acknowledgement. She was about to apologize when Beca continued.

"Then he was there with his sister and I knew it was just a matter of time before you would be here too. I wanted to leave. I didn't want to see you but I couldn't take my eyes off you."

Chloe's heart rate sped up.

"I like you." Beca admitted softly. She admitted it for the first time out loud.

"Becs. What are you still doing here?" Jesse called as he walked out of Stacie's house with Aubrey beside him.

Beca's eyes never left Chloe's. The redhead blushed and had to look away from the intense eye contact. She chose to look at her feet as their respective best friends approached them.

"What me to drive you home?" Jesse asked.

Beca looked away from Chloe and towards him. "No. I'm good."

"Ready?" Aubrey said softly to Chloe as she wrapped her arm around her.

Chloe looked back up to Beca who looked back to her.

"I'm gonna drive Beca home." Chloe said as their eyes never left each other.

"You sure?" Aubrey asked. Chloe nodded.

She wrapped her arms around Aubrey tightly. "Thank you for all your help tonight." Chloe whispered to the blonde. "I'll text you okay."

Aubrey knew that Chloe probably wouldn't be coming back to their house that night. "Okay." She said as she returned the hug. "Love you."

"I love you too" Chloe said with a smile as the two broke apart. Beca watched as Jesse walked Aubrey to her car. She fought her smile as she watched Aubrey kiss him on the cheek and his face almost split open from his huge smile.

After both of their friends had driven away Chloe turned back to Beca. "I like you too."

* * *

 **AN: Hope everyone is having a fantastic Sunday. Thanks so much for the reviews and comments, I freaking love them... please keep them coming.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Happy International Fire Fighters Day**

* * *

"Turn here" Beca instructed as Chloe drove.

"Where are we going?" Chloe asked as she followed each of Beca's direction.

"Here, pull in here." Beca said as she pointed across her body with her right hand towards the almost unseen side road.

Chloe slowed and then turned left where Beca had suggested. She pulled off the road and cut off the engine. "The beach?" She asked.

"Wanna walk with me?" Beca requested softly as she climbed out of the jeep.

Chloe followed Beca through some small shrubs and onto the vast sand. She quickly caught up so that she was walking next to the firefighter. It was peacefully quiet, only the sound of the occasional haw of a seagull overhead and the dull roar of the ocean washing up on the beach was heard.

Chloe was about to break the silence when Beca beat her to it.

"I couldn't tell you the last time I dated anyone." Beca admitted. She had been running the words she wanted to say over and over in her mind. "Relationships for me." She paused as she chanced a look back at Chloe. "Aren't easy."

"Why not?" Chloe asked quickly.

"That question doesn't have a simple answer." Beca said with a smirk. "It's complicated."

Chloe reached for Beca's right hand. Once she found it she laced their fingers together.

"I meant it when I said I liked you too." Chloe said softly. "But"

Beca turned to look at her.

"I don't really understand how I feel about you. It's almost like I'm just drawn to you." Chloe said honestly. "And it scares me."

"Can I ask you something?" Beca asked.

"Yeah, of course." Chloe replied quickly.

"You and Luke." Beca stated simply. "What is that?"

Chloe sighed uncomfortably.

"You don't have to tell me. It's really none of my business." Beca back paddled quickly.

"I don't really want to talk about that" Chloe admitted. "Is that okay?"

Beca nodded as they continued to walk hand in hand. "Want to sit?" Beca asked.

"Sure." Chloe agreed.

Once they were seated shoulder to shoulder looking out over the dark ocean, Chloe spoke. "What are we doing here?"

"I like the sound of the water. It helps me relax." Beca admitted. "You make me nervous."

"Yeah?" Chloe questioned. "Nervous good or nervous bad?"

"Um?" Beca thought, "just nervous."

"You don't give anything away do you?" Chloe asked. "Why is that?"

"Maybe I'm thinking of other people. Maybe I'm thinking of you by not getting too close." Beca replied.

"I don't buy that. You're close to Jesse. You're close to Stacie." Chloe said quickly.

"Nervous good" Beca admitted finally. "But that's kind of a bad thing."

"Why?" Chloe asked.

"I just punched a dude in the face for you." Beca teased. "Believe it or not I don't do things like that."

"Then why did you?" Chloe asked.

"I didn't plan on it but" Beca swallowed, "what he said about you was not acceptable."

Chloe nodded. "What did he say?" She was curious what he whispered when he leaned towards Beca right before she broke his nose.

Beca sat silently.

"You're not going to tell me are you?" Chloe asked.

"No." Beca answered. "And it's bad because you've seen how my job can be and that wasn't really anything. I've been in worse situations." She turned to look at the redhead. "It's not fair to put someone through that kind of worry all the time. So it's complicated because I like you and I haven't felt this way about someone in a really long time."

"I haven't seen you for two days. I locked myself in my room and started painting. That's what helps me relax" Chloe said with a gentle shoulder bump. "But I worried about you the whole time. We don't have to be anything for me to worry."

Beca shook her head.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"My mom said something like that the other day."

Chloe's eyes widened, finally she thought, something personal. She pounced on the subject, "So tell me about that. You and your mom."

"Uhh" Beca released a breath, "not a whole lot to tell. We aren't close. Haven't been for a while. Since I joined the academy" Beca clarified. "I think she wants to be. She told me that we don't have to be close for her to worry and that me keeping my distance from her doesn't lessen her worry."

"Why do you keep your distance?" Chloe asked.

"I thought it would be easier for her with my job. She doesn't want me to be doing it. So I thought that she'd just move on." Beca answered.

"Why would she move on from you?" Chloe asked.

"Not just me, from my dad too."

"Your dad?" Chloe asked. This was the first she had heard of the man from either woman. "What's your dad have to do with you and your mom's relationship?"

"He was a firefighter. He died on a call." Beca revealed. "My mom was crushed. I mean of course she was, maybe still is, I don't know."

Things were beginning to fall into place for Chloe as she sat listening to Beca.

"I was 14 when he died. It was a regular day. I was at school and it was like one of those stupid movies when the principal comes to pull you out of class and tell you that your life will never be the same. That's what happened, except when the principal called me out Chief Smith was there. But back then he was just a firefighter and my father's best friend. They were stationed at 72." Beca smiled remembering her dad. "He took me home and I walked in on my mom and the Captain from LAFD. That's what happens when a shield falls. They send the Captain to your house to thank you for your sacrifice." Beca paused collecting her emotions.

Chloe softly placed her head on Beca's shoulder.

"A couple of days later the streets are lined with firefighters in their class A dress uniforms and your walking behind your father's casket with your mother who could barely dress herself for the funeral and the sound of bagpipes ringing through the air. All the while, she won't look at me because I remind her of him. I have his eyes." Beca said feeling unusually relaxed during this conversation. Maybe it was the ocean, maybe it was Chloe. "Then when it's over, she won't get out of bed for days. She doesn't eat, she doesn't do anything. I don't want to be the reason anyone feels that lonely. Feels that lost. So, when I joined the academy she lost it. She wanted me to go to college but all I wanted to do was be a firefighter at 72. I wanted to make him proud and he was so proud of what he did. So proud of his house. Of his brothers."

"So you pulled away from her?" Chloe asked, "To make it easier for her?"

Chloe felt Beca nod.

"So you pulled away from me? On the phone. Is that was that was?" Chloe asked thinking back to the phone conversation that started her own downward spiral that lead her straight to Luke.

"I was such a dick to you on the phone a few days ago." Beca said as she scanned the water. It hurt her to be mean to Chloe but she felt like she was doing the right thing. "And then tonight, you were about to walk away and I didn't want you to go without knowing how I felt. It doesn't mean anything has to happen. Doesn't mean that anything will happen."

Chloe picked her head off of Beca's shoulder and turned towards the brunette. "So you like me and I like you and we're not going to do anything about it?" Chloe asked.

"If you like me so much, why did you sleep with Luke?" Beca asked quickly. She couldn't shake his words from earlier or the jealousy she felt from two days ago at the coffee shop.

There it was. The feeling again. "It's complicated." Chloe whispered.

Beca laughed. "I deserve that."

They sat for a few silent minutes each comfortable with the other and no need for words to fill the space between them.

"You ready to go?" Beca asked softly.

At some point tears had accumulated in Chloe's eyes as she sat thinking about everything that had happened since she moved. Everything that lead her to this moment with Beca by her side but still so far away. She tried to quietly sniffle but Beca heard.

"Hey, hey" Beca said softly turning towards the redhead, "No, no, no Chloe please don't cry. Why are you crying?" Beca said quickly.

"I'm sorry" Chloe apologized quickly through her tears. "I'm sorry." She sobbed as she felt Beca's arms around her tightly and the firefighter's comforting whispers in her hair. Her hands flew to her cheeks to push the tears away as quickly as they fell. She felt Beca's strong hands on the sides of her face pulling it towards her where she was met with concerned eyes.

"Please don't cry" Beca begged.

"I'm sorry" Chloe said as her face was being held in Beca's hands.

Beca let her forehead rest on Chloe's. She wanted to kiss the teacher but knew it would send the wrong message. She admitted liking her because it was the truth but that didn't change the way she felt about them being in a relationship. "I should take you home." Beca whispered.

Once they made it back to the jeep Beca felt sober enough to drive. She walked Chloe over to the passenger side. She had been unwilling to let go of the redhead since she helped her to her feet on the beach. "Can you take me back to your apartment?" Chloe asked. "I don't really want to go home right now. Please?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea Chloe." Beca answered.

"Please Beca." Chloe asked again, this time her bright blue eyes looking directly into Beca's.

"Okay." Beca reluctantly agreed.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca thought this shouldn't feel as awkward as it was. They'd slept in the same bed before. The problem was she didn't know what was happening last time. She just woke up to the redhead in her clothes. But now as she crawled onto her bed in the jeans and t-shirt she wore that night she knew Chloe would be lying next to her.

"Don't you want to change?" Chloe asked as she watched the brunette adjust her position on the bed into the same one from the other night. Flat on her back, hands on her stomach, on top of the covers, in her jeans and t-shirt. The only thing the firefighter had taken off were her shoes and socks.

"No, I'm fine." Beca replied softly as her eyes moved to follow Chloe around the room.

"You sleep funny." Chloe repeated as she adjusted herself to lay on her side facing Beca. Her head propped up by one hand.

Beca blinked and sighed, "It's just how I sleep."

"At the fire house too?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, pretty much." Beca answered as she moved her head slightly to the left to see Chloe.

"It's weird." Chloe said with a grin. "But I like weird." Chloe slowly crawled closer.

"What are you doing?" Beca asked her eye's filled with fear.

Chloe winked and then turned to lay flat on her back next to Beca in the exact position the firefighter was in. She let her body sink into the cushy mattress. She let her eyes close slowly. "Good night" She heard Beca whisper from next to her. The sound of Beca's voice ripped through her. It was low and sultry. Chloe took a deep breath knowing this would be the last time she would be sleeping next to the brunette for the unforeseeable future. Chloe's right hand slowly reached for Beca's injured left hand.

Beca tensed when she felt Chloe's hand slide down her forearm and wrap under her palm.

Chloe pulled the hand off Beca's stomach and towards her face. She felt Beca's body relax next to her as she got a good look at Beca's hand. It was bruised, swollen and had a couple of open cuts on the knuckles but could have been worse. She gently placed her lips on Beca's middle knuckle and kissed it tenderly.

Beca swallowed hard and held her breath as Chloe's lips released from her hand. She felt the other woman's finger's lace with hers loosely as her arm was brought down to the space between them. She laid there silent listening to Chloe's breathing even out as their hands remained joined.

 **XxXxXx**

It had been two days since Beca punched Luke in the face. Two days since their midnight talk on the beach. Two days since Beca woke up and looked to her left at the space where Chloe once occupied. Two days since she woke up alone. Two days she had been missing Chloe.

Beca sat on the edge of the chair in her bedroom as she tied her shoes. She pushed her pant leg down and stood. Beca grabbed her backpack off the floor next to her and made her way out of her bedroom. Once she was out of her apartment and down to the parking lot she tossed the bag in the passenger seat of her jeep and climbed in. She pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the station for her 3 day rotation.

Chloe felt like she was dragging into school. Two days ago she woke up with Beca. Two days ago she rolled over to kiss the firefighter before she snuck out of her room. Two days ago she stopped herself just before her lips made contact with Beca's. Two days ago she left silently. Two days ago she forced herself to leave to respect Beca's wishes. She sat her bag down under her desk and pulled out her lesson plan book. Shadows were the lesson of the week for the younger kids and silhouettes were planned out of the older group. Beca's face flashed in Chloe's mind. She couldn't shake the image of Beca sitting on the beach next to her. She missed her. Chloe heard her phone chime in her bag. She reached down to grab it. For a fleeting second she thought maybe it was Beca. She had been having the same thought every time her phone would chime for the last two days.

 _Bree- My car didn't start this morning. Jessica brought me to work but I need a ride home…please?_

Chloe typed back a response saying to just let her know what time to pick her up. She waited less than a minute for Aubrey to reply that her shift ended at 4pm. Chloe replied back that she would be there and then dropped phone back in her purse just as the first bell rang.

Beca was walking through the dining room when the alarm sounded. The dispatcher's voice boomed loudly through the entire house.

"Commercial business fire. 674 Briar Bend, Hidden Hills California. Reports of explosions on site."

She turned quickly and ran towards the truck that she could already hear Theo fire up. She kicked off her shoes and stepped into her bunker boots and pants pulling the suspenders up over her shoulders as she climbed into the truck with Jesse just behind her. She settled into her seat as the truck pulled out of the bay with the siren blowing.

Beca had her eyes closed as she tried to focus. She needed to clear her head so she could concentrate. So she could do what she needed to do without clouded judgement. Without Chloe in her mind. Without the memory of what it felt like to hold Chloe's hand in hers. Without the memory of Chloe's bright blue eyes looking at her. She jolted in her seat as the truck came to a halt. With a deep breath Beca pushed the door open and jumped out of the truck landing on her feet. She reached up to her comms.

"Radio check Mitchell. Squad 61 call out." She ordered as her team all dismounted the truck and headed towards the warehouse.

"Swanson check."

"Theo check."

"Dax check."

"Tucker check."

After all squad members tested their system, Bumper ordered the firefighter's of engine truck to do the same as they pulled hoses from their truck.

Beca and Theo made it to the door first. They looked at the thick chain that held the two large metal front doors locked.

"Swanson, let's get an axe up here." Beca ordered.

"Copy that." Jesse called back as he grabbed the axe from the ladder truck and ran towards the door. He swung it over his head and let it crash down on the chain. With a spark the chain broke free. Beca and Theo pulled the chain through the large door handles freeing it from them.

"It's gonna flash" Beca warned as she and the two men crouched down behind the doors. She knew that as soon as she opened the door, oxygen would be sucked in causing the fire to grow hotter faster and burst through the door ready to destroy anyone in its way. Theo and Jesse nodded as they moved back and crouched down low. Beca flipped the lock on the door and kicked the double doors in quickly before diving out of the way just as large fireball ripped through the newly opened doors. After it retreated she adjusted her helmet and signaled for her team to follow her into the building.

"Looks abandoned." Jesse said as they made their way into the space keeping low.

Beca looked around the building quickly. Large scaffolding with flimsy stair cases winded themselves through the open warehouse. "Probably storage?" Beca questioned as she took stock of the open layout with scattered crates and barrels covering the space.

"What do you guys got in there Mitchell?" Beca heard Bumper ask over their comm system.

"Looks abandoned. We're going to do a quick sweep and get out of here and let you guys come in and put this out. There's a shit tone of scaffolding in here that could come down quick if it gets hot enough." Beca said reporting back.

"Copy that" Bumper replied before turning to ready his crew.

"Quick sweep and evacuate" Beca said ordering her unit.

The squad members fanned out and quickly searched the space. They each reported back that their pre-determined quadrant was empty before obeying Beca's direction and evacuating the building. Beca was the last one out. "Squad 61 clear. You're up Allen."

Squad team 61 watched as their engine counterparts made their way into the burning warehouse with hoses in tow. Beca pulled her air tank off her back and sat it on the ground.

"What do you think started this?" Jesse asked as he and the other members of squad did the same.

"Don't know" Beca shrugged as she watched the firefighters try to extinguish the fire.

"Do you think this is related?" Jesse asked. "To the other fires?"

Beca shook her head, "don't know. It's a little weird right? I mean abandoned warehouses just don't catch on fire right? But I didn't see any water heaters or gas valves in there. Did you?" She asked.

The individual members each shook their head.

"Maybe it's not related." Theo offered just as an explosion ripped through the building.

"Man down! Man down!" Bumper's frantic call sounded through their ears.

Another explosion was heard over the comm system as he screamed for help. Beca and Jesse sprinted towards the building with the other members of squad right behind them. Beca was just able to adjust her helmet as she reached the door.

"Allen, get your guys out of here" Beca said through her microphone.

"Mitchell" Bumper yelled.

Beca couldn't tell where it was coming from but she ordered her men to recheck their assigned quadrants for any fellow firefighters. She heard Bumper call for engine to evacuate as a barrel shot towards the top of the warehouse and exploded violently.

"What the fuck is that?" Jesse's voice rang through.

"Check your quadrant and get out Swanson." Beca ordered as she made her way to the north east corner of the building.

"There's got to be 50 barrels in here" Theo said as she looked for any fallen firefighters.

"There, over there" one of the men of engine company pointed as he past Beca. He had one of his arms wrapped around a fellow firefighter and was being helped from the building. She nodded and made her way in that direction. Beca could see the strobing light. It was an alarm that would automatically go off if a firefighter was laying still. She stayed as low as she could and weaved her way through the barrels that seemed to cover the floor. One just to her right shot upward quickly ramming into a piece of metal scaffolding above. Beca watched it rattle and then begin to break free and rain down. She moved as quickly as she could through the falling debris.

"Mitchell report" Jesse's voice called over comms.

"North east corner. I see him" Beca reported back.

"Copy that. My quad is clear. Coming your way." Jesse replied quickly and then began moving towards Beca.

Whatever material was in the barrels was reaching its reaction temperature because barrels were shooting up and exploding right and left. Hot metal scaffolding was hanging and falling down all around them. 20 feet in front of her Beca watched another barrel shot straight up before breaking apart and exploding. A large section of metal staircase that was barely hanging on was jarred loose. Beca ran as fast as she could and tackled the firefighter that was standing right under the falling shrapnel. They landed hard on the concrete pavement and skidded to a halt.

"Are you okay?" Beca asked loudly. The firefighter nodded quickly, clearly stunned as she looked at the tangled metal lay in the place he was just standing. "Get out of here." Beca said loudly. The firefighter got up and quickly moved towards the entrance of the building.

"Mitchell where are you?" Bumper called out over comms.

Beca pushed herself to her feet and continued towards the back of the building as quickly as she could. She could see the firefighter down, pinned beneath scaffolding, while Bumper was trying to lift it off of him. Jesse reached the two at the same time. He looked at the heap of metal that trapped one of their own.

"I can't lift it" Bumper said through a strained voice. Jesse moved on the opposite side of Bumper, counted to three as the two men tried to lift it. It wouldn't budge. A barrel shot across the warehouse sending Jesse and Bumper diving into different directions.

"Wait a second." Beca said as she looked around the area. She ran a short distance away and returned with a long piece of metal piping. She shoved it through some of the tangle pieces of metal hoping to create enough leverage to push it up enough to drag the firefighter out.

"I got it, I got it" Jesse said as he took over on the pipe. Bumper resumed his position of trying to lift the metal and Beca looked down at the firefighter, for the first time looking at the word written across his back. She looked back to Jesse and nodded quickly. He used his whole body to move the metal just enough for Beca to drag the unconscious firefighter out from under the scaffolding. Another barrel whizzed by them exploding as it bounced off a nearby wall.

It had been several minutes since anyone on the outside of the building heard radio chatter coming from the rescue crew inside the building. Stacie and CR stood next to a stretcher waiting for anyone to come out of the building. With each passing second Stacie felt her fear growing. The fear of the unknown. The waiting. Smoke continued pouring out of the building as they watched it burn and begin to crumble from the heat. It seemed to be in slow motion that Bumper ran out waving his arms wildly at them to come on and bring the stretcher. Stacie felt her feet begin to move in that direction as she and CR pushed the stretcher towards him. She could see other firefighters also running that way to help. The sound of explosions from the inside of the building echoed as she finally saw Beca and Jesse, each with a handful of jacket pulling a firefighter from the building. Stacie dropped to her knees as Beca and Jesse laid him down in front of her. She quickly checked him. "He's not breathing and has no pulse." Stacie said looking up to CR. CR unstrapped the backboard and placed it on the ground as several firemen helped roll the man onto his side, strap him onto the board, and then lift him to the stretcher. Stacie climbed on top of the man straddling him as she began CPR. CR placed the ambu bag over his nose and mouth and squeezed air into his lungs. Stacie glanced in Beca's direction. She was bent over with her hands on her knees coughing violently, struggling to catch her breath. "Let's go" CR said loudly pulling Stacie back to the issue at hand. They pushed him as quickly as they could toward the back of the ambulance as CR gave Bumper instructions for when to squeeze the bag. Bumper climbed in as the pushed the stretcher inside with Stacie continuing to pump his heart. CR slammed the doors and ran to the front. She climbed in, turned on the siren and headed for UCLA Med.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe drummed her fingers against the steering wheel of her car as she waited at the red light. "So baby tell me yes and I will give you everything I will be right by your side. If I can't find the cure, I'll fix you with my love. No matter what you know, I'll fix you with my love. And if you say you're okay I'm gonna heal you anyway." she sang softly along with the radio as she turned right into the parking lot of the hospital. The words of the catchy pop song stopped falling from her mouth as she saw the two firetrucks lining the entrance. Chloe quickly parked in the first parking spot she found and rushed inside the emergency room entrance of the hospital. There were firemen everywhere. Some were standing in small groups talking with each other. Others were seated but it was obvious they were waiting nervously. Chloe scanned the room for one in particular. She relaxed when she saw the brunette stand from her seat as an older gentlemen, who she assumed was Chief Smith, Bumper and a doctor exited the emergency room doors. It was obvious the news was bad. Everyone in the room could tell by Bumper's body language and the look on the doctor's face. Chloe was startled as Beca began yelling as she approached Bumper.

"This is your fault. Where the fuck were you?" She screamed as she pointed her finger in his face. "This is on you."

"Me?" Bumper questioned back loudly. Chief Smith put his hand on Bumper's chest as Jesse caught up to Beca and attempted to grab her by the arm. "You were supposed to clear the building. You sent us in there."

"You were supposed to watch him. To protect him. To train him not leave him alone. His death is on you." Beca yelled as she pulled her arm from Jesse grasp and got in Bumpers face.

"Fuck you Mitchell" Bumper spat loudly not backing down.

All the firefighters of house 72 were up and around the two quickly pulling them apart. Beca was pushed backwards and spun around coming face to face with Chloe.

"Great, of course" Beca said angrily. "Of course you're here right now."

"Beca you need to calm down" Chloe said softly as she reached for Beca.

"You have no idea what I need but I know I don't need you and I don't want your help. You're not my girlfriend. Stay the fuck away from me." Beca said loudly. She could see the hurt on Chloe's face immediately but pushed past the redhead anyway.

"Okay" Chloe breathed.

"Listen up" Chief Smith's voice rang loudly through the room. "We are all to blame here. One of our brothers isn't coming home and it's everyone's fault. Applebaum's death is on all of us." He said as he looked around at his firemen. Most of them were looking down at the ground. Some had tears in their eyes.

Chloe felt Aubrey standing beside her. She didn't know where she came from but she was glad she was there. She didn't think she could move without help after her run in with Beca.

"You okay?" Aubrey asked after witnessing their brief run in.

Chloe nodded unconvincingly.

"Let's go okay. It's been a horrible day." Aubrey said sadly.

"Hey Aubrey?" Jesse's voice came from behind the blonde. "Hi Chloe." He greeted with a frown.

Aubrey turned towards the man who was standing behind her. His short hair was messy. Some of it standing up due to dried up sweat. Dirt and soot covering his clothes. "Were you back there?" He asked softly.

Aubrey nodded. "Yes" She whispered.

"Did he ever? Was he?" Jesse tried to question but couldn't find the words.

"No Jesse" Aubrey said as she reached forward and ran a comforting hand down the man's arm. "He never woke up."

Jesse nodded quickly as he took the information in. He wiped his eye quickly and sniffed. "I'm sorry about Beca just now. You didn't deserve that." He said turning to Chloe.

Her smile was more of a frown. "It's okay" She whispered.

"It's not okay. You don't have to say that." Jesse rebutted quickly.

"We're gonna go." Aubrey said seeing Chloe struggle with her feelings. "Take care of yourself Jesse."

He nodded as he watched them walk away.

Beca rested her forehead against the starch white brick outside the hospital entrance and kicked the bottom of the wall with her toe. Bumper's words repeated through her head but it was nothing that she hadn't been telling herself since she and Jesse grabbed the firefighter by his jacket and began pulling him out of the burning warehouse. "God damn it" She scolded herself. She pushed herself off the wall and turned around letting her back hit it with a thud. She slid down the wall and her head fell into her hands as she started to cry. She couldn't stop it from happening and she didn't want to do it in front of her unit. Benji was dead and it was her fault. She cleared the building and she sent the engine truck in there to extinguish the fire without knowing what was in the barrels and knowing that if the building would have burned itself out no one would have gotten hurt.

Her hands scrubbed her face as she tried to get a hold of her tears. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Aubrey walk out with her arm around Chloe. The redhead had her head rested on her best friends shoulder. Beca pinched the bridge of her nose. She wanted to take her anger out on Bumper but was stopped by her fellow firefighters so when Chloe was suddenly there, she caught the brunt force of Beca's anger.

"You need to apologize to her." Jesse said standing over her and reaching his hand down.

"I know" Beca admitted as she let her best friend pull her to her feet.

* * *

 **AN 2: Slightly afraid of the reactions from this chapter. I got a lot of cheers for BeChloe finally about to happen but sorry guys, Beca has her reasons and she's not ready to back down from them. As always reviews and comments are always appreciated... Love to hear from y'all. Until next time.**


	10. Chapter 10

"Hey Chloe wait up" Tom called to the woman ahead of him.

Chloe stopped walking and turned back toward the math teacher who was jogging up behind her.

"How was your day?" He asked with a smile as he hung his messenger bag over his shoulder.

"Good how was yours?" Chloe asked as they continued walking towards the staff parking lot together.

"Pretty good. Glad tomorrow's Friday." Tom said.

Chloe nodded in agreement. She was ready for the weekend.

"So do you think tomorrow after school we could get that drink? Maybe dinner?" Tom asked.

Chloe stopped in her tracks.

Beca watched as Chloe finally appeared from Hidden Hills Academy. She had gone off shift a couple hours ago and headed straight for the school to apologize to Chloe for her behavior at the hospital two days ago. She had written a couple of different text messages to the redhead but none of them felt right. She had even pulled up the contact in her phone to call and apologize over the phone but she never pressed send. She knew she needed to talk to her in person.

Beca heard the dark haired guy she had seen a couple of times call Chloe's name from behind her. She saw the art teacher stop and greet the man and then start walking with him towards the parking lot where she currently stood leaning against her jeep with her hands in her pockets. She watched them talk as they made their way closer to her and she saw Chloe suddenly stop as soon as their eyes met. Beca pushed herself off her car and toward the teachers.

"Chloe?" Tom asked after not getting an answer to his question.

"What are you doing here?" Chloe asked as soon as Beca was in earshot of her.

Tom looked up to see who she was talking to.

"I was hoping to talk to you." Beca replied.

"Chloe?" Tom asked feeling the redheads change in demeanor.

Chloe looked up to the man instantly plastering a smile on her face. "Yes Tom, sorry this is Beca Mitchell. Beca, this is Tom Evans." She said formally introducing the two. "He's the math teacher."

Beca held out her hand to meet the man. "Nice to meet you." She said as he took her hand.

"You as well." He agreed.

The three stood in awkward silence looking between each other before Tom cut in, "So about tomorrow?" He asked Chloe.

Chloe looked up at him questioningly.

"Drinks after work?" He reminded her.

"Oh um" Chloe said quickly. "Can I get back to you?" She didn't want to turn him down in front of Beca just in case it would embarrass him. She could do that tomorrow at school.

"Yeah, sure." He said quickly. "I'll see you tomorrow then?" He asked.

"See you tomorrow" Chloe repeated.

He began to back away as Chloe answered. "Okay. Have a good night" he directed towards both of them before turning and heading in the direction of his car.

Beca cleared her throat and Chloe turned back towards her. "I feel like I'm ambushing you."

"That's because you are" Chloe agreed.

"I'm sorry, I just, I wanted to apologize for what I said to you the other day. At the hospital." Beca forced out quickly. Apologies never came easy to her.

"Why?" Chloe challenged. She could see the vulnerability in Beca's eyes but she wasn't going to let the woman off easy. "Everything you said was true." Chloe said quickly as she brushed past Beca much like the brunette did at the hospital and continued for her car.

Beca turned on her heels and followed the redhead who walked quickly away from her.

Chloe could feel Beca behind her. "I don't know what you need. I'm not your girlfriend." Chloe regurgitated the words tossing them over her shoulder. They hurt just as much coming out of her mouth as they did when she heard them coming out of Beca's. Chloe pulled the handle of her car door to open it when Beca's hand quickly closed it.

"I'm sorry" Beca said forcefully. "Please just let me talk to you."

"I'm just trying to stay the fuck away from you." Chloe said softly.

"Okay" Beca whispered. "I'm sorry Chloe." She said as she looked up into crystal blue eyes. "I was so angry and upset and I had no business talking to you like that."

Chloe could see the sincerity in Beca's eyes.

"What I said" Beca swallowed, "I took things out on you and you didn't deserve that. You don't deserve that. I was such a jackass." She rolled her eyes at herself, "Am a jackass. Most of the time."

Chloe stood curiously silent waiting to see what Beca would say next.

"Benji's funeral is tomorrow." Beca said as she turned to lean up against Chloe's car door pushing her hands back into her pocket.

Chloe took stock of Beca's appearance in her uniform pants and polo shirt. She looked like she did the first day they met at the coffee shop. "Aren't you supposed to be at the fire station or something?" Chloe deflected. She wanted to draw it out as long as possible before telling the firefighter that she had forgiven her.

"I got off about a couple hours ago." Beca answered. "I came straight here to apologize."

"I'm sorry about Benji." Chloe whispered as she moved to stand in front of Beca. "I remember him from the fire safety day. He was a very nice man."

Beca nodded. "He was. He would have made one hell of a fireman."

Chloe frowned. She wasn't sure how to respond to that. It felt like Beca had more to say but wasn't ready to give it up.

"I should go." Chloe said softly.

Beca moved off of Chloe's car door as the redhead stepped around her. She opened the door and placed her bag inside.

"It was my fault." Beca said in a broken voice.

Chloe pulled out of the car and turned back around. "What was?" Chloe asked. She was sure they weren't talking about the hospital incident anymore.

"Benji. It was my fault." Beca admitted.

"Beca" Chloe said tenderly as she closed the gap between them. She put her arms around Beca's neck and felt relieved as she felt Beca's hands on her back immediately. "I heard what Bumper said. It wasn't your fault."

"It was." Beca replied as she buried her head in Chloe's neck. She didn't come here for this. She didn't realize she needed this until it was happening. It suddenly dawned on her that Chloe knew exactly what she needed. "It was my call to clear the building. My call to send them in. I should have just let it burn."

Chloe squeezed Beca tighter as she felt uneven breaths coming from the brunette. She felt Beca loosen her grip and did the same pulling away from her. Her dark blue eyes were glossy.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." Beca whispered. "By saying those things. I know you were just trying to help me and I'm sorry." Beca repeated. "That's what I came here to say."

Chloe nodded as her arms fell to her side. She was about to say she understood. About to say she forgave her but Beca turned quickly pushing her hands back in her pockets as she walked to her jeep. Chloe climbed into her car and head over to UCLA Med to pick up Aubrey.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe sprinted as gingerly as she could to avoid the puddles from her car to her front door. She pushed the hood of her light blue rain jacket off her head. It had been raining from the moment she stepped out of the front door to go to work that Friday morning and it didn't show any sign of slowing. Chloe shook her arms sending water droplets flying. She was startled as the front door opened quickly.

"Hey" Chloe greeted Aubrey.

Aubrey stepped out of the house, locked the door, and turned back towards her drenched friend. She held her umbrella out in front of her and pushed it open. "Hey." She finally greeted. "Let's go." Aubrey linked her arm with Chloe's as she lead the redhead back towards the car she just came from.

"Where are we going?" Chloe asked as she huddled under Aubrey's umbrella.

Aubrey didn't answer. She escorted her best friend to the passenger seat and then made her way to the driver's seat. Once she closed the umbrella and shook it out enough to put in the car, she closed the door and turned to the redhead. "Have you ever been to a firefighter's funeral?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe shook her head.

"We're going." Aubrey replied. "You need to see this."

"Why?" Chloe asked.

"Because if you're going to insist on having feelings" Aubrey said with air quotes "for Beca, I want you to see what she is trying to protect you from."

"So what? We're just going to crash a funeral?" Chloe asked sarcastically. When she got home from school yesterday and told Aubrey about her run in with Beca and how Beca waited outside her school just to apologize to her, she didn't think Aubrey would use that information against her. She didn't the she swooned as much as apparently she did.

"The funeral. No" Aubrey answered. "We're going to the fire station. They always have a ceremony and the community is welcome."

Chloe sat back in her seat as Aubrey started her car. "Is this because of yesterday?" Chloe asked as they winded their way through the neighborhood.

"I'm glad that Beca apologized to you. She shouldn't have spoken to you that way. And maybe" Aubrey paused, "maybe she isn't as much of a bitch as I thought she was." The words tasted horrible out of Aubrey's mouth. "The way she stood up for you with Luke was something I didn't expect from her. So maybe she isn't as bad as I thought. Maybe?" Aubrey teased with a side glance towards Chloe. "That doesn't mean I like her and that doesn't mean you have any idea of what you would be getting yourself into with her."

"She told me she likes me but that nothing is going to happen." Chloe repeated for the thousandth time. "Which I don't understand why, I mean she obviously cares about me and how I feel or she wouldn't have shown up at the school yesterday. I could see it in her eyes. She wants to be more than friends but she's just holding back. I think it's just a matter of time." Chloe smiled hoping she could wear the brunette down eventually.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about Chlo." Aubrey scolded. "You have no idea what she is trying to protect you from. But I'm about to show you."

The rest of the short car ride Chloe sat looking out the window as the rain pounded the glass. Yes Beca's job was dangerous, she knew that, but she didn't see it as a reason to not see if they could be something. It was obvious to her that Beca felt it too. She heard her say the words that night after the fight and she saw it in her eyes yesterday. Maybe it was worth the risk. She thought it was. Now all she had to do was convince Beca.

Aubrey pulled the car into the parking lot of a drugstore a block away from the firehouse. Chloe took notice of all the people walking around with umbrellas and raincoats. They were all headed in the same direction. All headed towards 72. The sound of the car door closing startled her. She turned to see that Aubrey was already out of the car with her umbrella opened. Chloe quickly opened the door and got out of the car. This wasn't the way she anticipated spending her Friday afternoon but her curiosity was peaked. Once out of the car she hurried to join Aubrey under her umbrella.

"Ready?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe nodded.

The rain hadn't let up as Aubrey and Chloe found a place across the street from Firehouse 72. Chloe looked to her right and to her left at all of the people who came out to the ceremony. Most were crowded under umbrellas as they stood silently waiting. She felt the sadness of the crowd around her. She caught a glimpse of Luke, standing with another man who held a camera. She looked away quickly hoping he wouldn't see her. She turned back towards the fire station. Both firetrucks were pulled out onto the street on opposite sides of the driveway and both trucks and the ambulance behind them had their lights on but not the sirens. They flashed red and blue through the grey rainy sky. One truck, the one Beca had shown her on her first and only visit to the station had its ladder extended and a large American Flag hung from it. She watched as the occasional gust of wind moved the soaked fabric. The sound of bagpipes rang through the air earning her attention. Her eyes shot towards the large truck bay of the station where two lines of men and women in uniforms began filing out followed by a middle aged woman clutching to a man with grey hair holding a large black umbrella. She watched as someone escorted them into the street behind the truck that read Engine 72. She knew from fire safety day that was the truck that Benji rode on. The bagpipes continued to sound as Chloe saw Stacie and CR walk out of the station. They were followed by the firemen that Chloe recognized. She watched Bumper make his way out of the station holding a helmet in his hands directly in front of his chest. Immediately behind him were two lines of men. Four on each side carrying a casket between them with a white flag draped over the top. Chloe watched Bumper stop in front of the man and the woman and present the man with the firefighter's helmet. He then stepped to the side as the casket was raised up to a few men and placed on top of Engine 72 fire truck. The sound of the bagpipes stopped suddenly and all that was heard was the sound of raindrops hitting concrete. The sudden silence was almost overwhelming. In a crowd of at least a hundred people nothing was heard. Not the sound of cars driving through the adjacent neighborhood. Not the sound of footsteps or voices. Not the sound of crying. Just the constant thud of rain hitting the ground. She looked back across the road at the line of men and women in front of the fire station. That's when she saw her. Standing next to Bumper with their brothers and sisters behind them. She took stock of Beca's uniform. It was black with a white shirt and black tie. It remindered her a lot of a soldier's dress uniform. The buttons down the front were gold and matched the two on the tops of her jacket's shoulders. Chloe noticed that Beca was wearing a badge. From where she was standing it looked like a policeman's badge or at least what she thought one looked like. She'd never seen one up close. But Beca's badge had a black strip across the middle. She glanced down the line and noticed that everyone had the same strip. Beca's posture was ridged as she stood motionless, expressionless looking straight ahead with her arms behind her back. Her hat was white with a black bill, the same as Bumper's, but Jesse and Stacie and the other firefighter's wore black hats. She had pins and medals on her right chest much like a soldier would have and Chloe immediately wondered why she had those and how she earned them.

"In the Los Angeles Fire Department the alarm code 232 signifies that a company has returned home. We will now ring out that code in memory of Firefighter Benjamin Applebaum." Chief Smith said.

A firefighter from the end of the line began walking towards the man and woman under the umbrella. He presented the woman with a flag that had been folded in a triangle, like Chloe had seen in the movies. Once it was in the woman's hands, the firefighter made his way back to the end of the line.

"Detail" rang out from a deep voice. "Attention"

At once the line of firefighters including Beca, Jesse, Bumper, Stance and CR, stood up straighter if possible. Their feet came together with a loud stomp and their arms slapped against the sides of their legs.

"Present Arms" The deep voice echoed through the wet air.

Chloe watched as white gloved hands slowly began to raise in unison stopping once they were at the bottom of the bill of their hats. Beca's eyes never changed. They stared straight ahead only blinking occasionally as the water dripped off the bill of her hat. Her face was hard and stoic but filled with sadness. Chloe could see it. She wondered if others could as well.

Two rings followed by a short pause, then three, then a final two rang out.

"Order, arms" Was the next command as the men and woman lowered their hands back down to their side.

The woman under the umbrella clutching the flag to her chest raised a hand to blot her nose with a tissue. The first half of firefighters in the line including Beca moved, crossing in front of the man and woman, stopping on the side of the firetruck. The truck slowly started to pull away from its position in the street with firefighters of the house walking beside it, escorting their fallen brother to his final resting place. Chief Smith and the other uniformed firemen and women followed behind the man and woman, who Chloe determined were Benji's parents, as she watched them proceed up the street until they were out of sight.

Chloe hadn't realized she was crying until a tear slid down her cheek.

 **XxXxXx**

"Where are we?" Chloe asked as Aubrey pulled the car into a parking lot of a small building she'd never been to or heard of since moving to Hidden Hills.

"10-70" Aubrey said.

Chloe rolled her eyes. She could also read the lettering across the top of the building. With the rain finally letting up Aubrey didn't bother grabbing her umbrella as she got out of the car. Chloe got out and followed her best friend into the building. Once inside Chloe took in her surroundings. Bare low wattage light bulbs littered the ceiling providing a dim lit atmosphere. Wooden ladder's hung sideways along some of the walls acted at shelving for framed photos and trinkets. Chloe immediately noticed they were fire or police related. She looked through the small crowd that had gathered, who she now noticed were made up of uniformed police officers, to a clearing which lead to a dart board. Lettering across the top labeled that area 'Bullets VS Hoses'. Her eyes wandered to the back center of the room to the bar. The ceiling above was covered in small string lights, raining down light on the wooden bar below. Behind the bar, above the shelving of liquor, were crossed axes mounted to the wall. It wasn't a fancy trendy place but it did give off a certain mood.

"So…" Chloe heard in a family Australian accent, "a nurse and teacher walk into a bar full of cops"

"Hey Amy" Aubrey greeted with a smile.

"So this is a cop bar?" Chloe questioned.

"You'll usually find Hidden Hills finest here on most nights." Amy said looking around at the patrons. "But we share with those nozzle jockeys." She teased.

Chloe looked over to Aubrey who shrugged. "Let's get a drink." Aubrey suggested to her redheaded friend.

"I'll escort you ladies." Amy offered. "No telling how many times you two will be asked to submit to a strip search tonight." She said as she watched the officers in the bar follow the movements of the blonde and redhead. Chloe looked to Amy with a frightened expression but the large woman shrugged in response.

An hour later Chloe noticed damp firefighters begin to make their way into the bar. Some she recognized but didn't know their names. She knew they were members of House 72. They were in their uniforms from the service. She kept her eyes towards the door hoping to see one firefighter in particular but it was becoming harder and harder to keep watch as she and Aubrey were slowly surrounded by more and more policemen who were shamelessly flirting with them. Just as Amy had warned.

Beca followed Jesse through the door of the bar. It was their place. A place they all went after a brother or sister was buried. It didn't matter if it was a shield or a badge they all ended up there to support one another with their brothers in blue. Beca pulled off her white gloves and removed her white cap as she weaved her way through the crowd. She placed the gloves in her hat and laid it upside down on the bar top and took her place on her favorite bar stool. She nodded her head to the bar tender who stood with a white dishtowel over his shoulder as he wiped out a glass. He acknowledged the nod. Seconds later, a cardboard coaster was set in front of her and a bottle of beer quickly followed. It was the one of many she planned on consuming that night. There were two more traditions to come but she knew she had time for a couple beers as they waited for Bumper, who was spending extra time with the Chief and Benji's parents, to arrive.

Beca sat facing the bar with her back to the crowd as Jesse turned on the bar stool next to her. He looked out over the sea of firemen and cops. His eye's stopped roaming when he caught a glimpse of familiar blonde hair. He would be able to spot her anywhere. He had spent enough time staring at her from afar to be able to pick her out of a backwards lineup. It was only confirmed that Aubrey was in fact there when he saw flaming red hair next to her. He spun back around joining Beca in her sadness as he worked on his beer. It was their tradition. Funeral. Drink. Stagger home. This time he hoped he wouldn't be staggering home alone. Maybe there would be a cute blonde nurse by his side.

Tyler. At least that's what Chloe thought his name was. He was cute and funny and looked good in his policeman's uniform but Chloe wasn't interested but she kept talking to the man. He was the least aggressive in his flirtations and advances out of his group of friends that she and Aubrey currently stood in the middle of. She wasn't sure how they ended up there, one moment Fat Amy was taking them to the bar and getting them the first round of drinks and then they were headed to a table but never made it. They were swarmed by the cops. The attention was a little overwhelming. Aubrey was currently being sweet talked by a two different boys in blue and Chloe was secretly happy that Tyler had honed in on her and somehow chased the majority of his friends away. Chloe felt her stomach tighten when Jessica appeared next to Aubrey. She looked around quickly and was relieved that Luke was not right behind her. She let out a shaky breath and nodded affirmatively when Tyler asked her if she was okay. He said something about going to get her a drink and then disappeared. Chloe took the opportunity to talk to Jessica.

"Hi" Chloe said greeting Jessica.

"Hey Chloe" Jessica returned.

"I sorry again" Chloe apologized quickly still feeling bad for the incident at Jessica's house.

"It's okay. Really" Jessica said quickly placing a comforting hand on Chloe's shoulder. "I know Luke can be a jerk sometimes. I mean, I'm not happy that Beca broke my brother's nose but it's highly possible that he deserved it." Jessica said with a conflicting smile. "They have history, so" She said with a wave of her hand. Chloe was about to ask about that when Tyler appeared back by her side with a new drink for her. She accepted the drink with a smile and turned back to Jessica who had already been swarmed by overly flirtations cops and Theo who looked handsome in his formal black uniform.

She was half listening to Tyler ramble on about himself and his latest cop adventures, as if it were supposed to impress her, and half took stock of the crowd. She was the outsider. The majority of the crowd were cops or firemen or nurses she recognized from the hospital who had waived or said hi to Aubrey. She could tell some other girls and a few guys in attendance were boyfriends or girlfriends but they were sparse.

"Are these guys bothering you?" Jesse asked cutting through the crowd.

The relief that he was there was evident on Aubrey's face.

"Oh no. Don't tell me you ladies are hose honies." One of the more arrogant and drunk cops said loudly after seeing Aubrey move to stand close to Jesse.

"Excuse me?" Aubrey asked loudly at the slang nickname she instantly found derogatory.

Theo and Jesse stepped forward towards the man. "Excuse me" Jesse said quietly to him. "Do you want to step outside so we can talk about the appropriate way to address a lady?" He asked seriously with his chest puffed out.

"It's cool. We're cool" Tyler said stepping in between Jesse and the drunk cop. "We're not here for that fella's. Right?" He said turning to his co-worker. "Right?"

His offensive friend backed down and Tyler turned to Jesse and apologized on behalf of himself and the police force for the loss of their brother. He and Jesse clinked beer bottles just as several cops and firefighters began making the rounds of the bar with large wooden trays in their hands filled with shot glasses. Jesse pulled three holding them in a triangle with his hands. He offered the first to Aubrey, then to Jessica and finally turned to Chloe to give her the last one as he grabbed another from the tray for himself. "She's at the bar" Jesse said leaning into Chloe.

Chloe's head turned quickly toward the direction his eyes lead her. She turned to Tyler and quickly excused herself leaving the man confused as he watched her move through the crowd towards the bar until he lost sight of her.

Beca saw a shot glass placed next to her. She caught a glimpse of red hair straddle the bar stool directly beside her. She took a deep breath as the bar tender sat her own shot down in front of her. A hush came over the crowd as everyone turned towards the side of the room where Bumper made his way through the crowd. Beca's head turned in that direction as she watched him. Chloe wasn't sure what was about to happen but she couldn't pull her eyes off Beca as she watched Bumper. She glanced in the man's direction to see him pull something out of his pocket and approach a wall. It was the first time she'd noticed the wall. It was covered in shiny badges. Some were the same but most were different shapes. Some were silver and some were gold. Some looked old and some appeared to be newer.

Bumper placed the badge on the wall and held a small nail between his thumb and finger. He reached for the brick that lay on the ledge right next to him. He held the brick out and hit the nail square on the first hit just as he moved his fingers. It wasn't the first time he had performed this ritual and it probably wouldn't be the last. He placed the brick back in its place for the next time it would need to be used and stepped back. Someone handed him a shot. He looked on at Benji's badge and brought the small glass to his lips. He drained the shot quickly in memory of his fallen brother.

The crowd who was familiar with the custom drank immediately after Bumper and Chloe scurried for her shot glass to do the same. She felt the liquid burn as it went down her throat. Beca nodded to the bartender who took her empty shot glass and then Chloe's. Chloe looked down at Beca's uniform. She reached and tentatively ran her finger over the medal and ribbons placed across the right chest. Beca swallowed hard as she felt Chloe inspecting her. Beca rested her left elbow on the bar and turned her head that was cradled in her left hand to the right towards the teacher. They didn't speak. They just sat. Chloe's presence comforted the firefighter. She was glad the other woman was there and for Chloe that was enough. The bartender set a fresh beer down in front of Beca and turned to ask Chloe what she'd like. He left and re-emerged less than a minute later with a tequila and tonic placing the glass down on coaster in front of her. She reached for the glass and brought the small black straw to her lips, sipping down some of the drink. She placed her glass back down. Beca slowly moved her right hand towards Chloe's left that just vacated her drink. Beca stopped a few inches from the redhead's hand. She looked at them and waited but Chloe never made a move to close the distance so Beca did it herself. The side of her hand met Chloe's as she looped her pinky finger around the art teachers.

Chloe turned her head to look at Beca after the gesture. Her bright blue eyes were met by a pair of navy eyes looking back at her. She took this moment to speak to the firefighter for the first time. "Are you okay?" She asked softly.

"Yeah" Beca answered softly. "I saw you at the ceremony. At the house."

Chloe nodded. She didn't realize Beca saw her. "It was a nice ceremony." Chloe complimented but it felt wrong. "I'm sorry, I don't really know what I'm supposed to say. I mean of course it was sad but it was lovely." Chloe felt stupid.

"It's fine." Beca said trying to ease her uncomfortableness.

"You look nice in your uniform." Chloe blushed. She wanted to complement the firefighter because she thought she did look good. Better than good actually, she looked sexy.

"Thanks" Beca answered as a small smile crept over her face at Chloe's embarrassment.

Chloe's smile mirrored Beca's as they held eye contact.

The crowd behind them livened up prompting Beca to look over her shoulder at the commotion.

"Beca!" Chloe recognized one of the members of Beca's squad team call her name looking over the crowed. "You're going to want to see this." He said loudly.

That's when Chloe noticed the patrons of the bar were all moving towards the door. Beca took one more long swig of her beer before she stood. Chloe followed the brunette out of the bar. The cops and firefighters were turned looking at the wall next to the door she just walked out of. She turned to face the wall wondering what everyone was staring and whispering at. Her heart sank as she read the words. Chloe's hand immediately sought Beca's. She laced her fingers between the firefighters unable to tear her eyes away.

Beca felt anger slowly wash over her as she pushed her way through the crowd to a small clearing. Everyone backed up slowly as the Lieutenant in her dress uniform laid eyes on the graffiti. The white paint slowly ran down from the ends of the letters. She couldn't pull her eyes from it.

Chloe felt Beca squeeze her hand. She wasn't sure if it was involuntary or on purpose. She remembered the way Bea balled her fists right before she punched Luke. She squeezed the firefighter's hand hoping to offer her comfort. A bright light flashed as Chloe turned to look at Beca who never took her eyes off the words freshly spray painted on the brick wall.

* * *

 **AN: I don't think you guys really liked how last chapter went. Hope this one was okay. Let me know what you think.**


	11. Chapter 11

Her head was killing her. The pounding. Chloe swallowed roughly and squeezed her eyes together tightly but the pounding only got louder. Her throat was so dry. It felt like it was filled with cotton balls. She flinched when the ringing started. The ringing in her ears. She opened her eyes quickly as she realized that yes, while her head was killing her it wasn't really pounding. That was coming from the front door. And the doorbell that was the ringing. She heard Aubrey yelling before she was able to get herself out of bed and to her feet.

"Seriously!" Aubrey yelled as she held her head in her hands hurrying to the front door. She quickly unlocked the deadbolt and pulled back the latch to open the door. "Oh my God" She said angrily as Beca stood at their door. "Absolutely not. Go away and never come back." Aubrey quickly moved to slam the door closed but the firefighter was quicker. She stopped the door with her hand and invited herself in.

"Excuse you" Aubrey barked.

"Where's Chloe?" Beca asked looking around. She'd never been in their home.

"I assumed she was with you since you guys left together last night." Aubrey said following Beca into the living area.

"No, I dropped her off here last night." Beca answered as she looked around.

"Well then I'm guessing she's asleep. Like I was 3 minutes ago." Aubrey said squinting her eyes angrily at the brunette. "What are you doing here?"

The loud voices pulled Chloe quickly from her room. She could have sworn one of the voices belonged to Beca. She opened her door and slung her silky pink robe around her shoulders as she made her way into the living room.

"Oh, I'm sorry" Beca faked her apology, lifting a hand to her chest, "But three more minutes of beauty sleep isn't going to improve that" Beca gestured up and down Aubrey's body with her hand, "situation."

"I take back the nice things I may have been thinking about you yesterday. You actually are an asshole." Aubrey spat not noticing Chloe entering.

"What are you doing here?" Chloe asked. Not that she wasn't happy to see Beca, she just never thought this is how she would have woken up.

"We have a problem" Beca rushed out. She caught a glimpse of Chloe in her underwear and tank top before she had a chance to tie up her robe.

"Okay?" Chloe questioned having no idea what Beca was talking about.

"I'm going back to bed." Aubrey announced loudly.

"You need to see this too." Beca said turning towards the angry and hungover blonde.

Beca held the newspaper out for Chloe to see. Aubrey rolled her eyes but made her way over to the firefighter to see what she was presenting.

The front page was the scene from last night. Cops and firefighters standing outside 10-70 looking up at the message on the brick wall. Chloe read the headline out loud.

"Arsonist targets Hidden Hill Fire Department. Who's Next?" She glanced under the headline to see Luke's name on the by line. She let her eyes glance down to the picture.

"I'm sorry Beca but how is this Chloe's problem?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe studied the dark photo. It almost looked black and white even though it was in color. All the firefighters in the picture were wearing their black dress uniforms and the cops were in dark colored clothing as well. The red brick wall stood out and so did the white lettering on it. "3 Fires. 1 down." She read the words from the wall aloud not really meaning to. It sent the same shiver down her spine this morning as it did last night. The center of the photo was what drew Beca's concern and Chloe knew it immediately. There she stood in her light blue rain jacket that glowed against the dark background holding Beca's hand and looking at her as she looked up at the writing on the wall. The writing that was so brazenly spray painted with a hundred firefighters and cops so close by. The writing that took responsibility for the day care fire, the apartment building fire, the warehouse fire and Benji's death.

"This" Beca said pointing to her and Chloe in the picture.

Chloe knew it.

"This puts her in danger." Beca said to Aubrey then turning to face Chloe again, "this puts you in danger." She repeated softly.

Chloe swallowed hard as her eyes held Beca's intense stare.

"What's going on?"

Beca looked past Aubrey. "Hey Beca" Jesse said as she walked out Aubrey's bedroom in nothing but his pants.

Chloe's eyes immediately shot to the blonde. She didn't know Jesse was there. They had left separately last night and Chloe was home first. She remembered Beca dropping her off but that was it. Aubrey blushed.

Beca looked between Aubrey and Jesse. "Eww." She mumbled.

 **XxXxXx**

"This is not good." Jesse said reading the article as he and Beca sat around Chloe and Aubrey's dining room table while Chloe went to get dressed and Aubrey went back to her room.

"Dude go put your shirt on." Beca said side eyeing her best friend.

He rolled his eyes in response.

"I can't believe you and Pukeson." Beca teased.

"Don't" Jesse warned with a playful smile. "I like this girl."

Beca shook her head. "Fine. Whatever."

"Who would have thought we would be dating best friends." Jesse said with a beaming smile.

"Chloe and I are just friends." Beca answered with a sigh.

"It doesn't look like that in this picture." Jesse said pointing to the pair on the newspaper.

"And that's the problem." Beca answered. "I don't want anyone who is targeting us to get the idea to target her. And also, just cuz you slept with Aubrey doesn't mean your dating dude."

"Sorry" Chloe said as she finally came back from out of her room. She'd invited Beca to her room while she changed into regular clothes but Beca politely declined. "So" She said as she sat at the table next to Beca. "What are we talking about?"

"I think it's unlikely that anyone would come after Chloe, Beca. I mean, this guy seems to be after 72 but not anyone in particular." Jesse reasoned.

"Would you feel the same if this was you and Aubrey?" Beca asked pointing towards the picture.

"Do you really think someone would try to hurt me because of this picture?" Chloe asked in a small voice.

Beca turned to the redhead. "I don't know but I don't want anything to happen to you. That's why"

"Why we are just friends." Chloe finished Beca's sentence.

"It's better that way Chlo." Beca said softly.

Beca's concerned voice and the look in her eyes made Chloe's stomach flutter but she suddenly felt angry.

"Better for who? For you?" She thundered.

"No, not better for me." Beca replied quickly as she sat back in her chair. "Do you think this is easy for me?"

"I'm gonna go put my shirt on" Jesse said quietly. He doubted either of the woman at the table would notice he was gone.

"How would I know Beca?" Chloe fired back. "You push me away every chance you get."

Beca stood from the table. She didn't come here to fight. She came here to warn Chloe, to protect her.

"So you're just going to leave now?" Chloe asked loudly.

"What do you want me to do?" Beca said quickly as she turned back towards the redhead.

"Stop pushing me away." Chloe requested softly. "I want you to give this a chance."

Beca pursed her lips and shook her head. "Nothing good will come of it Chloe."

"Oh my God Beca, what if something great comes out of it?" Chloe argued. She stood from the table, made her way to Beca and stood in front of her, pleading with her eyes for the firefighter to listen. "I really like you and I think you really like me too."

"I do but it doesn't matter." Beca said holding firm on her position.

"Okay" Chloe decided to take another approach. "What if you're right? What if whoever is doing this thinks they can hurt you by hurting me? Do you think I would be in any less danger if they thought we were just friends?" Chloe asked.

Beca stared at her. She didn't have an answer.

"Have you eaten? Can I make you breakfast?" Chloe asked quickly changing the subject and giving Beca time to think.

"N-No" Beca stuttered. "I just came to show you that." Beca pointed to the paper on the table.

"Thank you Beca. But" Chloe sighed. "I don't care. I like you. I want to go out with you."

"You don't understand." Beca argued quietly. She was growing tired of turning Chloe down.

"I do though and it's sweet of you to be concerned about me but if I'm okay with dating a firefighter, knowing full well what could happen, then said firefighter" Chloe pointed at Beca "should be okay with dating me."

Beca didn't reply. She stood in thought. Considering.

"Do you want me to sign something saying I'll be cool and won't freak out when you go to work?" Chloe teased.

"You don't need to sign anything." Beca said as she turned and continued the short walk toward the front door. "You'll try to be cool, everyone does, but you'll freak out."

"Wait, so we can go out?" Chloe asked quickly after realizing Beca didn't shoot her down immediately.

Beca opened the front door and turned back to Chloe. "I don't really like going out. I like to stay in." Beca replied.

Chloe nodded with a frown. There was the turn down she had expected.

"Would you like to maybe stay in with me tonight?" Beca asked softly.

Chloe smiled. "I'd love to stay in with you."

Beca returned Chloe's smile. "Then I'll see you later? 7ish?"

Chloe nodded. "7ish sounds perfect." She took the chance to lean forward. She placed her lips on Beca's cheek. "Thank you." She whispered close to Beca's ear.

"I'll see you later." Beca whispered. "And we'll see what happens."

After the door was closed Chloe squealed joyfully as she made her way back to her bedroom.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca plopped down on her sofa with a beer bottle in her right hand. She breathed deeply as she rested her head back. She felt the couch dip and then a weight in her lap. Beca opened her eyes and looked down to see Chloe's gorgeous red hear splashed across her lap and bright blue eyes looking up at her. "We can't keep doing this" Beca teased. She had been nervous when the teacher first arrived several hours ago but found that she comfortably relaxed in Chloe's presence.

"What?" Chloe asked nervously. She thought their night had gone great. They had a great conversation about Chloe's parents and her brother. About her life in Atlanta and even touched on the Jake situation and her heartbreak. Beca opened up a little more sharing tid-bits about her father and her childhood before his death. Now she didn't know what was happening.

Beca lifted her left hand slowly off the back of the couch and brought it down letting her fingers wander through silky red hair. "This." She could see the fear in Chloe's eyes. "I'm gonna get fat if you keep cooking for me." She said with a smirk.

Chloe felt relief was over her. "I doubt that."

"Thank you" Beca whispered. "For dinner."

"Thank you" Chloe returned. "For letting me stay in with you."

"Chloe?" Beca questioned her voice suddenly serious.

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure?" Beca asked.

Chloe's brow furrowed. "Sure about what?"

"Are you sure you want this?" Beca asked nervously. After their night she couldn't deny that she didn't love spending time with the redhead. She couldn't deny her attraction to her, couldn't deny their chemistry.

"I'm sure" Chloe answered softly. "When I'm with you I feel like myself" She admitted. "And I haven't felt like that in a long time." She blushed with embarrassment as she said, "it's easy for me to lose that, to lose who I am."

Chloe felt Beca shift under her.

"But with you, I feel" Chloe stopped speaking. She looked up into Beca' dark blue eyes. They were so gentle and caring that it took her breath away.

"You feel what?" Beca asked hanging on Chloe's every word.

"Safe." Chloe whispered.

Beca shook her head gently. "I did not see you coming. What am I gonna do with you?"

The softness of Beca's voice was too tempting. Chloe pushed herself up off of the brunette's lap and turned to face her. Somehow Beca's hand stayed in Chloe's hair as she sat up. She brushed her fingers through the back pulling strands that landed on the redheads shoulder off and to the back. Chloe leaned forward feeling Beca's hand move with her. She tilted her head slightly and paused inches from Beca's face. Her blue eyes darted back and forth looking for any sign of hesitation or doubt in Beca's eyes. She surprisingly didn't see any prompting her to close the distance and place her lips softly on Beca's. She tasted the beer on Beca's soft lips. She felt Beca's hand ball up against her head tangled in her hair. She felt her heart thumping in her chest as Beca's tongue slowly drag along her bottom lip. Chloe moved without breaking the kiss. She was in a bad spot to make out with the firefighter so she pulled herself onto her knees and quickly straddled the brunette wrapping her arms loosely around Beca's neck.

Beca's hand slipped out of Chloe's hair and down her back softly before finding purchase on Chloe's hip. Chloe's hands slipped from around Beca's neck to cradle the firefighter's face in her hands as their lips continued meet. For Beca, it had been a while since she kissed someone like this. It was intimate not just lustful build up to a one night stand. The feel of Chloe's soft lips on hers was intoxicating. Their movements were slow. Not hurried. She could feel Chloe's shaky breath on her cheek when she sucked the redhead's bottom lip into her mouth. Her left hand squeezed at Chloe's hip when the teachers tongue met hers causing the teacher to sink down further onto her lap. It was the best first kiss Beca could remember ever having but she knew that's where it needed to end. At least for tonight.

She'd spent the day since leaving Chloe's apartment earlier that morning thinking about the redhead. Thinking about entering into a dating situation for the first time in years. Thinking about all the times Jesse and told her she deserved to be with someone. Thinking about what it would feel like to not be alone all the time. Beca was determined that if she was going to do this, she was going to at least do it the right way. She didn't want to jump into bed with Chloe. She was different. She deserved better than 'hit it and quit it' like all of the more recent encounters with women Beca had.

Chloe needed to breathe. She needed a minute to collect herself. Her heart was pounding and her lips were tingling and she could feel the throbbing between her legs. Her hands moved from Beca's face. She let them lazily fall down to Beca's chest. She pushed her body back to rest against Beca's thighs but kept her forehead pressed against the firefighters. Her eyes were closed tightly as she focused on her breathing, focused on calming herself. It didn't help that she felt Beca's hand move from her hip to just above the back of her jeans. She felt Beca's fingers brush underneath her blouse and softly draw random patterns on her lower back. "What are you doing tomorrow?" Chloe asked hoping it would distract her body from all of the sensations swirling around.

Beca's eyes shot open and her body tensed. Chloe felt it. She pulled her head off of Beca's and sat all the way back on her heels, but still straddling the firefighter.

"I have to work." Beca answered softly.

Chloe knew this was her chance to not panic even though she felt the nervousness begin to build. She tried to mask it with a smile. "Okay."

Beca watched her closely.

"For three days?" Chloe asked.

Beca nodded.

"So, what time do you end on Tuesday?" Chloe asked.

"Around three."

"Do you want to have dinner with me that night?" Chloe's voice was hopeful and nervous. "Unless your still afraid of getting fat."

Beca smiled. "I'd love to."

Chloe leaned in and rejoined their lips. She pulled away quickly causing Beca's eyes to shoot open with worry.

"Are we allowed to talk and stuff when you're working? Like can I text you?" Chloe asked. She genuinely didn't know.

Beca pressed her palm against Chloe's bare back. She already loved the feeling of Chloe's skin on her skin. She smirked, "Yes. We can text."

Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't know if that was like, allowed."

"It's fine. I can call you or you can call me. We can even face time or whatever." Beca answered.

Chloe's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Beca nodded. "Yeah, sure. I don't take my phone on calls with me obviously so that would pretty much be the only time I couldn't talk or text with you."

"On calls" Chloe repeated. She didn't mean to do it but it slipped out along with the fear that unconsciously washed over her face.

"Chloe" Beca warned.

Chloe straightened out quickly. She leant down and kissed Beca again. "You'll call me tomorrow then?" Chloe asked.

Beca nodded. She was dizzy from the sudden change of direction with the art teacher. "Yeah."

Chloe pushed herself backwards off of Beca's lap till she was standing in front of the still seated firefighter. "I should go."

Beca moved to stand to walk her over to the door.

"Don't get up. I can let myself out." Chloe said softly.

Beca sunk back down into the couch. She was again back to watching the redhead closely. Something was off. Beca could tell she was worried. Already. Beca took a deep breath as she listened to Chloe collect her purse and pull the keys out of her bag.

"So, you'll call me tomorrow?" Chloe asked.

Beca dropped her head back down to the back of the couch to look up at Chloe who stood directly behind her. "Yes. I will."

That seemed to relax Chloe slightly. She leaned down slowly. She felt Beca's nose brush against her chin as their lips meet in an upside down kiss. It quickly evolved from a peck on the lips to lips smacking as they pulled at each other. Chloe moaned and pulled away slowly. "Be careful." She whispered.

"I will" Beca replied softly. She felt Chloe kiss her softly once more. Her eyes were still closed when she heard the front door close.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca was settling into her dorm room the next morning when she heard "knock knock." She turned to see Jesse with his arms crossed over his chest and a beaming smile on his face.

"Hey" She mumbled before going back to unpacking her backpack for her three day shift.

"Soooo?" Jesse sang. "How was your date with Chloe?"

She didn't bother turning around as she answered him. "How do you know I had a date with Chloe?"

"Beca, our girlfriends are best friends. They tell each other everything." Jesse said excitedly.

"Chloe isn't my girlfriend." Beca replied as she shut her locker door before turning to look at him.

"No?" He questioned skeptically.

"No. We had dinner last night. That was it." She answered.

"And? How was it?" He asked.

Beca rolled her eyes. "Dude." Her tone warning. "I'm not going to gossip with you like two 16 year old school girls."

"Wow." He breathed. "You're no fun. You obviously didn't get any." Jesse teased.

"Get out of my room." Beca said seriously but Jesse didn't move. "Now. Get out."

He laughed and turned. She could hear him giggling down the hallway. Once he was gone, she let her face relax into a small smile as she thought of Chloe. Her eyes drifted over to the small digital clock on her wall. 9:24 am. She had never called Chloe before. Never texted her before. Beca had attempted when she was trying to apologize but she never followed through. Her hand drifted down to her pocket where her phone was. She thought momentarily about pulling out the device and calling the art teacher who she couldn't get out of her mind but the sound of Theo's voice calling, "house briefing in 5" changed her plans. Beca stood from the bed quickly and exited the room towards the meeting room ready to start her shift.

None of the other fires had occurred on second shift and as Beca and the other members of House 72 listened to another briefing filled with minor car accidents and false alarms, she couldn't help but wonder who was targeting her and her brothers and sisters. She looked around the table at each member. She wondered if this arsonist had something against one of them in particular. She was pulled from her thoughts as the meeting was dismissed by Captain Smith. Like they did every shift change Beca walked with Squad 61 out to the truck bay. They prepared their equipment and checked their truck to make sure they had everything the needed in the event of a call. After completing their walk through Beca made her way into the kitchen to rummage for something to eat. Since Benji had been delegated kitchen duties, as part of his Probie chores, during the briefing they reassigned them amongst the group until a more permanent solution was in place. It was determined that breakfast and lunch would be on an individual basis and they would cook dinner in groups. Beca, Jesse and Theo were assigned dinner for the house for the next night. Beca found a box of pop tarts tucked away in a cupboard. Her thoughts immediately flew to Chloe. She was a great cook. Beca's mouth watered thinking about the delicious breakfast Chloe could probably make her but instead she peeled open the sliver package resigning herself to eating cold pop tarts for breakfast. She made her way out of the kitchen and towards the TV room where the majority of her squad team would be lounging around.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe was sitting at the kitchen table enjoying her morning coffee when Aubrey walked through the door in her workout attire.

"Hey" Aubrey said as she made her way to the fridge for a bottle of water.

"Well hello, hypocrite." Chloe greeted.

Aubrey turned quickly towards her friend. "Excuse me?"

"You're" Chloe sat her mug down and turned to face the blonde "a big 'ole hypocrite."

Aubrey challenged with a raised eyebrow.

"You gave me all this shit for having feelings for Beca and took me to see what I was getting myself into and then you bring Jesse home?" Chloe explained.

Aubrey rolled her eyes and continued on her way for a bottle of water. "Jesse is harmless. He's a nice guy and all but it was just one night."

"Does Jesse understand that?" Chloe asked. "Because I think he really likes you."

"I mean we didn't really discuss anything" Aubrey said placing the water bottle to her lips and tilting her head back. "If you know what I mean."

Chloe turned back in her seat and picked her mug up again. Aubrey made her way over to the table and took a seat. "So, how was your date?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe smiled and nodded. "It was really good. Really good."

"That's it? Really good?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe shrugged. "Well it was. I really like her."

"Ugh, yes I know." Aubrey teased. "But seriously. If you're happy, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks Bree" Chloe smiled.

"Just be careful" Aubrey warned.

Chloe sighed, "Talk about short lived happiness."

"I know you Chlo. You go all in all at once." Aubrey explained patiently. "I just don't want you to get hurt is all."

After a few seconds of meaningful eye contact Aubrey pushed herself from the table reportedly to get a shower. Chloe sat at the table sipping her coffee. She touched her phone bringing it to life. She placed her mug on the table and picked up the phone sending off a quick text.

Beca absorbed the shock of the ball with her hands. She pivoted her right foot and took a large step backwards, bending forward and tucking the ball close to her body to protect it. Jesse leaned backwards into Bumper bouncing off of his chest and he worked to post up under the basket. The two men were breathing heavy and grunting slightly as they jockeyed for position. Theo's hand brushed Beca's right shoulder, keeping the Lieutenant at arm's length, while he held up his right hand trying to interfere with any pass she may throw. Beca lowered the ball down in front of her as she pivoted on her right foot looking for an opening. She felt Theo lean to far forward. Beca turned quickly 360 degree's as he stumbled forward. She took a couple quick dribbles increasing the space between her and Theo before steadying her feet and sizing up the shot. She jumped straight up and extended her left hand flicking her wrist in the direction of the hoop. Her pocketed vibrated harshly as she landed softly on her feet. Jesse turned quickly on Bumper to face the basket. The ball banked off the backboard and the popped up off the rim. He jumped as high as he could with arms extended feeling Bumper on his back. Jesse caught the ball in both hands and landed on his feet. He took on hard dribble and then went straight back up and laid the ball in softly. Bumper retrieved the ball after in dropped out of the net and turned to toss it up to Theo.

"8-9" Theo recounted the score of the two on two basketball game.

"Hold on, time out." Beca said as she reached in her pocket to fish out her phone. She looked down at the screen.

 _Chloe: Thinking of you xx_

"Stop stalling Mitchell" Bumper growled at her.

Beca's fingers flew over the screen as she quickly replied.

 _Hi. Can't talk right now but I'll call you later._

"Beca come on" Theo whined.

Beca re-read the text and winced but pressed send anyway. She wasn't one of those girls who got mushy on text or sent things like hearts or lips or kisses. She watched the three dots flash on her phone and waited for Chloe's reply nervously.

Theo stood back with the ball in his hand waiting for Beca to rejoin the game.

"Shoot" Bumper ordered.

Theo took one dribble and let the ball fly towards the hoop. The ball swished through the cotton net.

"9 all" Bumper announced before roughly shoving the ball in Jesse's stomach.

Beca looked up quickly. "That doesn't count" she protested.

"Yeah it does. Your thirty second time out was up thirty seconds ago." Bumper argued loudly.

Beca shoved the phone back in her pocket, Chloe's reply not read and forgotten about. "You know what fine. You can have that point. I don't want to hear you crying about anything when we kick your ass." Beca challenged as Jesse passed her the ball. "Again." She said looking straight at Bumper with a smirk.

Jesse pushed Bumper roughly, extending the space between them as Beca fired the ball into him. He turned and shot the ball into the basket. Bumper growled as he retrieved the ball and tossed it to Theo. "9-10" Theo announced. Beca faced him closely. He dropped his shoulder and pushed into the brunette pushing her back a step. She quickly recovered and guarded him closer absorbing his bumps as she heard Jesse and Bumper battling behind her. The game grew more and more physical as the four friends continued to play.

Chloe's lips pursed to one side. She wasn't accepting that response. She took a deep breath as she texted a quick no problem to Beca. She laid her phone back down not waiting for a response before standing to deposit her coffee mug in the sink and continue with her Sunday.

 **XxXxXx**

She cleaned the entire house from top to bottom. Removed her nail polish and re-painted her fingers and toes. Done all her laundry and changed her bed sheets. She showered and deep conditioned her hair and was now sitting down at her desk. Chloe opened her computer and after several clicks and key strokes she was logged onto her email. She clicked through a couple of digital coupons from retailers that she loved. Some she kept and some she deleted. She smiled as she replied to an email from Tom that contained a link to a local art exhibit that he happened upon and according to him immediately though of her. That's when her eyes glanced down at the next email. It was one she had already read but the sender's name made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She sat frozen with the finger of her right hand resting lightly on her mouse. She jumped when her phone rang loudly. Chloe turned back towards her bed and pushed herself from the desk to retrieve the phone.

"Oh thank God" She said quickly as she picked up the phone. "I'm freaking out."

Beca was immediately confused. "Why?" She asked tentatively. She already felt bad about not calling or texting the art teacher back after the basketball game because she got busy but she didn't expect that it would freak Chloe out already.

"Does your mom get the newspaper?" Chloe asked quickly.

"Um?" Beca replied confused. "Why would I know that?"

"The picture Becs" Chloe said as if Beca should already know.

The lightbulb when off in her head. She tried to stifle her laugh. "I mean she probably does."

"Oh my God" Chloe said loudly. "She's gonna hate me."

Beca sat quietly on the edge of her bed as she listened to Chloe.

"I'm dating my boss's daughter and I've already told her we are just friends. She's going to hate me." Chloe whined.

"She won't" Beca replied.

"That's easy for you to say." Chloe fired back.

"Chloe" Beca said calmly.

"Do you think she'll like call me into her office and like ask me questions?" Chloe asked frantically.

"Chloe" Beca said a little more forcefully.

"What if she doesn't think I'm good enough for you? What if she thinks I'm not pretty enough?" Chloe was saying everything that came into her mind. "What if she thinks I'm with you to try and get on her good side? What if she thinks I'm just using you?"

"Chloe" Beca said loudly.

"What?" Chloe asked softly her concentration broken.

"Are you?" Beca asked. She didn't give Chloe a chance to respond before continuing, "Are you using me to get in good with my mother?" Beca knew how ridiculous it sounded but hoped that repeating it back to Chloe so she could hear it.

"No of course not." Chloe answered foolishly.

Beca smiled. She could hear the rational side of Chloe returning, "And you're beautiful so you don't even have to question if anyone thinks you're pretty enough."

Chloe felt the swarm of butterflies kick up in her stomach.

"Because you are. You're gorgeous." Beca added.

"Do you think she'll be mad?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know." Beca answered honestly. "Does it matter to you if she is?"

Chloe thought. "Yes. It matters." She answered honestly. "She's my boss Beca."

"I know." Beca replied. She honestly hadn't taken her mother and Chloe's relationship into account until now. "It's not too late to call this off. We can still be friends and nothing more." Beca offered.

"No" Chloe said almost immediately. She took a breath to compose herself, "No. I don't want that."

"You sure? Because it's okay. And not just cuz of my mom. All of it. We can just forget it and be friends." Beca offered.

"Beca." It wasn't a question. It was just her name that Chloe said in a whispered.

"I'm offering you an easy out pass here Chlo." Beca replied quickly. "Before anyone gets hurt."

* * *

 **AN: Soooo, I read back through the story so far and I made some many mistakes... how embarrassing. Maybe one day I'll go back and fix those but right now I'm concentrating on writing new chapters. Speaking of, hope you guys like this one.. Tell me you're feelings. I'm listening...**


	12. Chapter 12

Her body was dragging. That's the best way she could describe it, not that anyone asked. She was tired and hot and sweaty. Beca made her way to the showers knowing it would refresh her and get her ready for the day. She was up extra early. It wasn't on purpose it just happened. Her mind was on Chloe and her mother. Even though she played it cool yesterday on the phone with the jittery redhead, she was a little anxious to hear if her mother would confront the art teacher. She really had no idea how her mother would react. So she was up early deciding to she hit the house gym then the street for an early morning run through the neighborhood and now she stunk. Beca reached for the handle and flipped it up. The water sputtered too life. Beca stepped under the stream letting the water hit her in the head and flow down her body.

It reminded her of high school sophomore year. The night after she kissed Charlie Rosen in the bleachers on the soccer field. She felt like everyone was staring at her. Judging her. She glanced side to side as she walked taking stock of the students. "Hi Miss. Beale" one greeted. She mumbled a good morning at the unwanted attention and continued quickly through the hallway. Chloe pushed the strap of her purse back over her shoulder as she walked through the hallway quickly. All she wanted to do was make it to her classroom. Her sanctuary. She sat down at her chair and released a tension filled breath. She bypassed the office to reduce the chances of running into Dean Lewis. A loud knock caught her off guard. Chloe nervously knocked over the picture frame on her desk as she turned towards the door.

"Guess you don't need this" Tom said with a smile holding a coffee cup in his hand. "Looks like you're hopped up on enough caffeine for a Monday morning." He teased.

"No" Chloe smiled, "you just startled me."

"Apparently" He said as he entered the classroom. He sat the tall to go cup on the teacher's desk and backed up to lean against one of the student's tables.

Chloe reached for the cup slowly. She didn't have her morning coffee. She woke up late and was in a rush. She was on the phone with Beca for a while last night convincing the firefighter that she didn't need an easy out. After they hung up from their conversation, texts continued for a while. Chloe quickly learned that Beca didn't sleep much when she was on shift. So she stayed up too late texting.

"Oh that's so good" Chloe moaned after she swallowed the sweet drink.

"You're favorite right?" Tom questioned.

"Um" Chloe looked at him slightly confused. "How did you know?"

He shrugged and pushed himself off the desk. "You mentioned it a couple weeks ago. Caramel latte with a splash of vanilla."

She didn't remember mentioning it but she must have. She nodded. "Well, thanks."

"Anytime" He said before making his way towards the door just as the first bell rang. He leaned back in the door, "Have a good day Miss. Beale." And then disappeared.

Chloe felt her nerves calm as student began filling her classroom. She took another sip of coffee and then stood to greet them. As the second bell rang Chloe had just made it to the door. She pulled it closed and turned back towards the class ready to start her lesson.

"Squad radio check" Beca said into her comms system. After each member of her team reported in Beca crouched in the corner. The smoke was swirling and it was hot. The building was large and she had made it to the 4th floor of the brick structure. She knew Jesse was somewhere below her with Theo. Dax and Jeremy were on two. The first floor was clear because they all swept it before making their way up to the other floors. "Swanson" She heard Jesse announce his name, "I have one. Making my way out."

"Copy that" Beca replied. She began to sweep the floor. Looking for victims. Looking for booby-traps, looking for survivors. The smoke was billowing almost floating from the floor and up the walls and across the ceiling. This building had zero ventilation. It was one of the darkest structures she had ever been in. The beam of her flashlight reminded her of driving with her bright lights on down the pacific coast highway as the sea fog flowed over the road from the ocean. This smoke was thick and heavy and it didn't have anywhere to exit so it built making it harder and harder for her to see. She caught her shoulder on the side of something heavy. It almost knocked her out of her crouch and onto her butt as she tried to search the floor.

"Two all clear" Jeremy reported.

"Copy. Three all clear" Theo added. "Mitchell report."

"Mitchell searching four" Beca reported out. Her light hit a solid structure. She lifted the beam over to see it was an old couch that had been flipped on its back. She made her way towards hit sweeping her light from side to side. That's when she saw the feet. A pair of tiny ones. A pair of tiny white sneakers that were lightly dusted with dirt and soot. She made her way quickly through the space and then she saw hands. Large hands. "I've got two." Beca called out. "Child and adult."

"I'm coming back in" Jesse said from outside the building as he listened to Beca's report.

"Negative. I can get them both." Beca said as she looked around the room. She didn't see any other victims.

"Are you sure?" Jesse asked. He looked at Jeremy, Theo and Dax who were just as surprised that Beca didn't request help. They looked in Chief Smith's direction for instruction. He held out a hand prompting them to wait.

"Affirmative. Conditions are deteriorating. We're coming out." Beca reported.

"Chief?" Jesse said walking over to the man who stood looking up at the large brick training facility.

"Let her finish the exercise Swanson" he instructed.

Jesse nodded and looked back to the building.

Beca pulled her rope from her pants. She gently picked up the smaller adolescent dummy that was representing a toddler probably around the age of 3. She placed the 25 pound dummy on the chest of the large male adult. She knew that dummy weight 185 pounds. She hated that dummy. She trained on that dummy. It out-weighed her by 70 pounds and now she was tying 25 more pounds around it's chest in the shape of a figure 8 and about to lift them enough to carry them down four flights of stairs.

"60 seconds" came Stacie's call over comms. She was in charge of keeping time. Their task on this training exercise was to clear this building within 4 minutes will all lives accounted for.

Beca squatted down as low as she could and hooked her arms under the adult dummy. She stood, lifting with her legs and began to walk backwards pulling them from the room. She lifted him high enough off the ground that as she walked backwards down the steps, dragging them that the dummy's feet dropped from step to step. She visually check the rope to make sure it was holding the child as she continued and rounded the stairwell. "40 seconds" Stacie's voice rang out. Beca continued as quickly as she could but her back was starting to tighten. Her arms were burning and her legs felt like they going to explode out of her pants but she continued as fast as her legs would carry her. Carry them.

"30 seconds."

Beca looked at the floor marker as she continued down the stairwell. 2nd floor. It was going to be close. She had to pick up the pace to get down two more flights of stairs and then out the front of the building and clear from the scene. Her boots hit the first floor landing loudly as she pulled as hard as she could.

"10 seconds."

Beca grunted as she leaned as far backwards as she could. The dummy felt like it weighed 500 pounds as she continued.

"Time's up" Chief Smith's voice carried over the intercom.

Beca dropped the dummies to the floor. The wooden panels that covered the building's windows opened streaming light through the building and releasing the smoke. Beca sat back on the ground with the two lifeless dummies at her feet. She leaned forward resting her arms on her knees. Once most of the smoke was clear of the building Beca pushed her oxygen mask off of her face. She saw boots out of the corner of her eye come to a stop right next to her. She looked up at Chief Smith who peered down on her.

"20 more feet and you would have been a hero" He said looking at the way the dummies were tied together. "But instead, you're dead."

Beca held her head down in shame. "Along with a family of three." He added.

Beca's head shot up.

"One tenant on three was successfully evacuated but three victims on the fourth floor were unaccounted for, along with one firefighter." He said as if he were reading it from a future newspaper article. "You missed one." He scolded.

Beca pushed herself to her feet and followed him back up the stairs to the fourth floor that was now smoke free and bright. She took him to the place where she found the two dummies. Now that the smoke was gone she could see the other dummy. A female. Less than 4 feet away. But she didn't see it.

"Mission failed" Chief Smith announced over the comm system. "Pack up and report back to the house." He ordered.

Beca stood in the space after he left looking at the female dummy. She missed it. They all died.

Chloe pushed the front door open to her and Aubrey's house after an unexpected calm day. She was grateful for it. There were no awkward run in's with Dean Lewis. No mention of her on the front of Saturday morning's newspaper. Nothing. It was just a normal day. She dumped her purse and school bag on the counter next to a post it. She smiled at the bubbly writing.

 _Car fixed. Working night shift. See you tomorrow – A_

Chloe stuck the note back down on the counter and headed straight for her bedroom. She was tired from lack of sleep last night and unnecessary stress from waiting to be confronted by Beca's mother. She wanted a bath. She needed a bath. Chloe headed straight for her bathroom. She turned the water on and sat down on the side of the tub as she waited for the water to warm up. She tested it by running a hand under the faucet. Once it reached its desired temperature Chloe pushed in the drain stopper. She crossed the bathroom retrieving her lavender bubble bath. She poured a cap full under the stream. After watching the bubbles begin to form, Chloe went to her room and began taking off her work clothes. Down to only in her underwear, Chloe went back into the bathroom. The tub was already half full. Chloe reached behind her and unclipped her bra, letting if fall on the floor in front of her. That's when she remembered her phone. Chloe bounced back into the living room and to her purse. She rummaged through her bag until she felt it. Looking intently at the device as she made her way through the house back to her bathroom. Chloe pulled up a Spotify playlist and set her phone on the edge of the bath tub. She pushed her panties down her legs, stepping out of them, and into the tub easing in one foot at a time. Once she settled to the bottom the water level evened off and bubbles crept up her chest and around her body. She reached behind her and gathered up her hair, twisting it into a loose bun and pining it against the tub. Her eyes closed slowly as she let herself relax.

For the second time that day Beca found herself in the shower with the water pounding her head and running down her body. Her hands rested on the tile in front of her as she leaned her body weight on them. Her eyes watched as the water flowed from the sides of her face and to the floor hitting her toes. She watched the water cascading to the floor. Some of it seeped into the corner of her eyes. It burned. But it didn't matter. It was better than closing her eyes. When she closed her eyes she saw the dummy. Except it wasn't the dummy. She saw a woman about her age. Lifeless on the floor. Burnt. Charred and unrecognizable. She's seen that in real life before but now, in her imagination, the training exercise was real. So she kept her eyes open.

"Beca?" Stacie called out as she stepped into the large communal bathroom. "The police department is here. They want to give everyone an update." Stacie wait a few seconds for a reply but knew she probably wouldn't hear one all she heard was the water stop hitting the floor.

Beca grabbed her towel and began to dry herself off. She wrapped the towel around her body and hurried to her room to get dressed.

"This is the person we're looking for" Amy said as passed around a grimy black and white photos outside of 10-70 the night of Benji's funeral. The firefighters took turns looking at the photos and passing them around. Beca entered the room just as Jesse finished with the pictures. He passed them to her and she looked through them shaking her head.

"So you have nothing?" She said frustratingly.

"What you're looking at Miss." The man standing next to Amy said sternly, "is who we believe is the arsonist."

"It's Lieutenant" Beca corrected immediately, "and yeah but this could literally be anybody." Beca said as she studied the photos. The person was in blue jeans and a dark sweatshirt with the hood pulled over his head. He held his head down when most of the time except for when he was facing the brick wall. "You can't even tell if this is a man or a woman." She scoffed.

"We know the perpetrator is of average build. He or She" the man emphasized dramatically, "is 5'7 to 5'9. There is nothing unique about their walk. We couldn't identify any tattoos or scars. We do know they are right handed."

Beca laughed out loud. Not because it was funny but because it was anything but. She looked up at the room of firefighters who were looking at her questioningly. Her eye's glanced over to Chief Smith who had a disapproving look on his face. She cleared her throat, "There are 30ish people in this room." She said looking around. "I'm the only person in here who is left handed." The majority of the firefighters turned back towards the front of the room towards Amy and her partner. "What like 10 thousand people live in Hidden Hills? So you can eliminate like 300 people as suspects?" Beca tossed the stack of photos on the table in front of her. They splashed out spreading across the table. "That's if the person even lives in Hidden Hills."

"We believe he or she does. Why else would they target 72?" Amy asked.

"This could be anyone Amy." Beca said pointing to the picture of the person with their back to the surveillance camera they pulled the pictures from. "This could be some kid who was paid 100 bucks to do it. You guys have no idea."

"Look" Amy's partner stepped forward. "We know you guys are scared."

"Scared?" Beca questioned.

"Nobody's scared dude" Bumper jumped in as the rest of the house mumbled under their breath and shifted in their seats.

"Okay, not scared but nervous." The man tried to correct himself.

"What's your name?" Beca asked cutting him off.

"Detective Warren. I'm Detective Patricia's partner assigned to this case." He introduced himself.

"Detective Warren" Beca addressed him "We're not nervous or scared."

"Okay" He said quickly cutting Beca off. "I understand you're frustrated and angry after the loss of your friend."

"Jesus Christ" Beca said loudly.

"Mitchell" Chief Smith warned.

"How many fucking emotions could you possible list?" She challenged. "We are not frustrated or angry. People are dying dude. Kids" she emphasized, "have died." She took a second to calm herself. "Yes, we lost one of our own but he knew what he was signing up for when he joined. We all know exactly what we signed up for and what those consequences may be so no, we are not scared. People are dying. Innocent people. People who were trying to get through a normal day. So do you're fucking job and find out who is doing this before more innocent people die. Don't bring in photos of some random ass person spray painting a wall. Don't rattle off stats that literally describe the most average person I've ever heard. You guys have nothing. Don't come in here and pretend you know what you're looking for because you don't. And any minute now that alarm is going to go off and we are going to have to go out there and try to save more innocent people who are just living their lives because you guys can't trace this back to anyone." Beca ranted.

"Okay, let's all take a breath here shall we?" Amy suggested. She let the tempers simmer down before she continued. "We don't have much of anything." She said towards Beca. "We do believe this is the person we're looking for but other that we don't have any other leads and we need your help."

"Our help?" Jesse asked.

"Yes. Have you guys seen anyone suspicious at the fire scenes? Anyone out of place? Anything out of place?" Amy asked. "Arsonists tend to stay behind. Watch their work so they have probably been at all three scenes. Every call you respond to will have extra police presence but be alert. If you see someone tell a cop." She said as she looked around the room. "They seem to be targeting your shift. No calls have come in on the other shift so think, is there someone in your life who would want to hurt you? Any one you made angry?"

"You're being serious?" Beca asked. "You think someone is blowing up daycares and burning down apartment buildings and warehouses because of a personal vendetta?"

"We're just trying to cover all the bases." Detective Warren added.

"This is bullshit." Beca muttered.

"You're dismissed Mitchell." Chief Smith said quickly. "All of you are dismissed." He said to the group.

Chloe walked towards her bedroom with a fork hanging out of her mouth, her plate in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. She sat the wine down on her bedside table and climbed on her bed. She leaned up against the headboard and sat her plate in her lap. She speared a clump of broccoli with her fork and brought it to her mouth as her phone rang. Chloe smiled as she chewed the vegetable. She leaned forward and grabbed the phone and sat back. "Hey" She answered.

"Hi" Beca replied.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked immediately after hearing Beca's voice.

"Nothing. Nothing" Beca repeated trying to sound normal. "How was your day?"

"Baby" Chloe said softly.

Beca's breath caught.

"I'm" Chloe breathed. "I'm sorry. It just kind of slipped out. It's too soon for that, I'm sorry." Chloe quickly apologized.

"No. It's okay. Really." Beca replied sounding much calmer. "I didn't expect it. I mean I liked it" She revealed, "I just didn't expect it."

"What's wrong Becs?" Chloe asked.

"Rough day. But I'm fine. Really." Beca answered as she settled back on her bed. "How was school? My mom corner you?"

Chloe giggled. "No. I didn't see her actually."

"Hmm" Beca mumbled.

"What happened to you today?" Chloe asked. "Talk to me."

Beca closed her eyes. "We were running through a training drill and I missed someone." Beca said giving the short version.

"Oh, I'm sorry baby." Chloe said, the words slipping out again.

"It's okay. It was just a drill." Beca replied. She knew those were the words she was supposed to say but she didn't feel them. She felt the exact opposite.

Chloe could hear the emotion in Beca's voice. She knew she was trying to bury her feelings. "I miss you." Chloe said softly. She pushed her plate off her lap and on to the bed. "I can't wait for tomorrow night."

Beca smiled for the first time all day. "Yeah, me too."

"Do you want to come here?" Chloe asked. "You could stay the night? I mean, if you want."

"What about Aubrey?" Beca asked.

"Wow" Chloe replied quickly. "I didn't know you were into that. I mean she is hot. I could ask her." Chloe teased.

"You know" Beca could feel her face blush. "You know that is not what I meant Beale."

Chloe giggled. "Yeah, but it was just way too easy."

"I don't even know why I called you." Beca said trying to sound upset but failing.

"Oh, yes you do. You know exactly why you called me." Chloe argued playfully.

"Please do tell."

Chloe moaned. "Because you can't stop thinking of me." She whispered. "Because you're stuck in the smelly old fire house probably in that tiny room of yours wishing I was there with you." She teased seductively. "Because you can't stop thinking about kissing me, the way I can't stop thinking about kissing you." She finished with another moan into the phone.

"Actually I was trying to call someone else and hit your name by mistake. I was just being nice by talking to you but now you're like practically trying to having phone sex with me and if I'm being honest it's" Beca paused, "pretty weird" she sang.

"Whatever jerk." Chloe replied quickly.

"Sorry weirdo." Beca countered. "So I should probably let you go."

"Oh okay" Chloe said playing along.

"You know what on second thought, you're right. Aubrey is pretty hot." Beca added.

"Hey!" Chloe protested.

Beca softened. "No but really, I should go."

"Okay" Chloe breathed sadly. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, tomorrow." Beca agreed.

"Be careful" Chloe whispered.

"Good night Chlo." Was the last thing Chloe heard before the call ended.

Beca tossed her phone back down on her bed as she lay flat looking up at the ceiling.

 **XxXxXx**

The school day couldn't pass quick enough for Chloe as she looked at the endless line of cars in the pick-up line.

"Hot date?" Tom asked coming to stand beside her.

"What?" Chloe asked turning away from the man. She looked over at the line of second graders, "Mark C." She called out. The little boy stood up quickly and ran towards her with his oversized backpack strapped to him and his lunch box flopping in his hand.

"You look like this is the last place you want to be. Looks like you're ready to get out of here so you must have a hot date tonight." Tom said as Chloe returned from escorting Mark to his mother's awaiting car.

"It's car line Tom. Nobody likes car line." Chloe replied.

"So no plans then?" Tom said quickly. "If you're free maybe we could hang out."

She looked down the line at the next car. She smiled and turned towards the gathered fifth graders. "Come on Harry" She said towards the boy. Since fire safety day the curious little boy had quickly become one of her favorite students.

"Bye Miss Beale." Harry smiled as he climbed in the back of his mom's car. "See you tomorrow!"

Chloe waved to the little boy as the car drove away.

"Sorry but I can't. I do have plans tonight." Chloe said to a clearly disappointed Tom.

"With the girl from the other day?" Tom asked.

"Um" Chloe paused.

"I saw you and her in the newspaper. You two looked close."

"Yeah, we are." Chloe confirmed.

"Miss Beale?" Chloe shuddered. She turned slowly and greeted the older woman with a smile. "May I have a word?" Dean Lewis requested.

"Yes Ma'am" Chloe answered. "Do you want me to meet you in your office after I'm done here?"

Dean Lewis looked around at the other teachers who were working the pick-up lane. "I think they have it under control Miss. Beale." She looked around Chloe towards Tom. "Math scores are looking excellent this year Mr. Evans. Keep up the great work."

"Thank you Dean." Tom beamed.

Chloe smiled shyly at the man before following Dean Lewis back into the building, through the hallway and into her office. Dean Lewis stepped aside for Chloe to enter. Once the redheaded art teacher was in Dean Lewis closed her office door. Chloe nervously took a seat in the chair in front of the Dean's desk and folded her hands in her lap. She closed her eyes tightly at the sight of Saturday's newspaper on the Dean's desk.

"I think you're a great teacher Chloe."

Chloe was taken aback. She didn't expect that. She looked up wide eyed at the older woman.

"I have no doubt that you are a great person. Mr. Evans definitely seems taken with you" Dean Lewis acknowledged as she leaned back on the front of her desk. "And so it seems is my daughter."

Chloe took a deep breath. "Yes ma'am. Thank you?" Chloe questioned nervously.

"Relax Chloe." Dean Lewis said hoping to comfort the very nervous redhead. "This is not an interrogation. You're not in any trouble here. I just wanted to talk to you."

Chloe nodded. "Okay. What did you want to talk about?"

"Are you and my daughter seeing each other?" Dean Lewis asked.

"Um." Chloe winced. She didn't want to betray Beca's trust by revealing anything about her or them to her mother whom the brunette was admittedly distant from.

"I know that's a very personal question and I know that my daughter is very private. But I'm still her mother and even though you seem like a great person with a good head on your shoulders, she is still my daughter and I want to make sure the person she is seeing has the appropriate intentions." Dean Lewis explained carefully.

"We haven't officially declared ourselves anything yet" Chloe disclosed, "But I like your daughter very much Dean Lewis."

The older woman nodded in understanding. "I can see."

Chloe looked at her boss questioningly. "You can see?"

"The look on your face when you speak of her. I've seen that look before." Dean Lewis said sadly. She pushed herself from her desk and moved to sit in the chair next to Chloe positioning her body so she was facing her. "I've seen it on my own face before. When I was with Beca's father."

Chloe listened intently.

"We met when we were just kids in high school. He was charming and funny. People liked him a lot and for some reason he liked me. I was kind of" She thought back "what do the kids call it these days? A dork or a nerd?" Dean Lewis laughed at the thought of herself. "I fell in love with him almost instantly. He was everything. He was handsome and brave and caring. We got married a month after we graduated high school. I got into UCLA and he joined the fire academy."

Chloe was engrossed in this story.

"I got pregnant with Beca in the middle of my sophomore year. He was so happy. He loved her so much even before she was born and when she was born he was the absolute best father. And boy did she love him back just as much. She was always a daddy's girl." Dean Lewis smiled recounting her family. "Life was great. It was amazing for 14 years, it was perfect. And then one day out of the blue it was over. I kissed him goodbye that morning and never saw him again." Dean Lewis whispered.

"I'm sorry" Chloe said offering her condolences.

"I'm telling you this because the way you were looking at my daughter in the photo on the newspaper is the way I used to look at Jack." She sighed longingly. "And it makes me nervous for you Chloe. Beca is the master at pushing people she cares for away under the pretense to protect them from her. To protect them from pain. Maybe she's right to do so, I don't know but sometimes" Dean Lewis stilled herself and straightened up, "one doesn't fully recover from a broken heart." She warned softly.

* * *

 **AN: Hey guys... hope you liked it. Reviews please, they keep me motivated.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chloe wasn't sure if Beca's mother was referring to her or to Beca. "Sometimes one doesn't fully recover from a broken heart." She repeated the words that continued to bother her. A knock on her door broke her from her thoughts. She got off of the couch and headed for the door. She pulled the door open quickly with a smile.

"Hey" Beca whispered.

"Hi" Chloe returned.

Beca peered inside the house and looked around curiously. "Is Aubrey here?" Beca flirted, "I can't get her sexy face out of my mind." She teased.

"Shut up" Chloe laughed. She reached forward grabbing Beca by the shirt and pulling her towards her roughly.

The firefighter allowed herself to be pulled. She allowed Chloe to kiss her hard at first and then softly as they settled into a rhythm. Chloe moaned into Beca's mouth. "I've missed you. Three days is so long."

Beca's hands that had rested on Chloe's hips pushed the redhead back softly. Chloe looked surprised by the movement. "No seriously is Aubrey here?" Beca asked again.

"No" Chloe answered confused.

"Good. Let's go" Beca said trying to pull Chloe out the front door.

"Go? Where?" Chloe asked. "I was going to cook."

Beca stopped and turned back towards the teacher. "Jesse is on his way over here to profess his undying love for your annoying roommate. I do not want to be here when he shows up because he will never leave." Beca revealed with an eye roll. "And I thought maybe I could cook dinner for you."

"Really?" Chloe asked as she walked back into the house to collect her bag. "I thought you didn't cook."

Once out of the house they made their way to Beca's Jeep. "Just because I don't cook doesn't mean I don't know how to cook."

"Oh." Chloe smiled as she looked at Beca skeptically.

Beca shrugged a shoulder, "I've maybe only set like 2 fires. 4 at the most."

"Great, now I'm really in danger." Chloe teased.

"I'll save you." Beca said looking directly at her. It was the sexist thing Chloe could ever remember anyone saying to her.

 **XxXxXx**

This time they'd made it to Beca's bedroom. The last two nights Beca always stopped their make out session before it could progress to a horizontal surface. Not that Chloe needed that but it would be nice to have their first time not be pressed up against a counter or sitting on the couch or in the back of Beca's Jeep. The last two nights Beca had always pulled out of the kiss softly. Holding Chloe tightly against her saying it wasn't time yet. Saying she wanted to wait for the right timing. Saying she didn't want to rush this. Saying all the right things that felt so wrong to Chloe's body. But this time she felt Beca's mattress hit the back of her legs. She felt the brunette push her down. She felt her body bounce twice.

"Wait, wait" Beca mumbled as she pushed Chloe away from her.

"What no?" Chloe breathed. She desperately reached up for Beca to grab her. To pull her down. To kiss her again. "I don't want to wait. I want this. I want you."

"Chloe." Beca moaned.

"Please." Chloe begged.

Beca leaned forward and captured Chloe's lips roughly. The redhead scrambled backwards, crawling on the bed feeling Beca follow her. Now on her back, Chloe extended one leg as she reached up, grabbing Beca's face in her hands and pulling her down to her lips. Beca's hands landed on the sides of Chloe's body. She was lost in the intoxication of Chloe's mouth on hers. The feel of the redheads tongue. The jolt through her body when Chloe's knee slipped between her legs.

"Wait" Beca said pushing herself up to hover above Chloe.

"What are we waiting for?" Chloe huffed frustratingly running her hands through her hair.

Beca shook her head as she tried to catch her breath.

"What is it?" Chloe asked as worry crept over Beca's face.

"After this, we can't go back." Beca whispered as she peered down into Chloe's eyes.

"Do you want to go back?" Chloe asked nervously. "Because I don't want to go back."

"This will complicate everything." Beca added.

Chloe smirked gently. "It's already complicated baby."

"You're sure?" Beca asked again. The last couple of days and the more and more time she'd spent with Chloe she'd come to realize that while she was afraid of hurting Chloe, she now knew that Chloe had the power to hurt her. Her feelings for the art teacher continued to grow as the days, minutes, hours passed and now she was also at risk. At risk to have her heart broken and Beca couldn't remember the last time she was in that position.

"I'm sure" Chloe whispered. She pushed herself to her elbows and brought her lips softly to Beca's. She felt the firefighter press against her lowering them down to the mattress as Chloe's hands shot up around Beca's shoulders, pulling, grasping at anything she could get a hold of. Finally she got the bottom of Beca's shirt. She pulled it up quickly trying to get it off the woman laying on top of her. Beca shifted slightly to help Chloe but moved her hand to the wrong place.

"Owww Oww" Chloe said pulling back. "My hair. You're on my hair."

"Sorry" Beca replied breathless. She tried to move her hand off Chloe's red hair quickly and lost her balance.

"Oh my God. Knee in the crotch. Knee in the crotch." Chloe complained.

Beca dropped her head down quickly to look between their bodies but ended up bumping foreheads with Chloe.

"Sorry. Shit sorry" Beca fumbled. She finally gave up and pushed herself off and rolling over to land on her back. She took a moment to catch her breath before turning her head to look over at the redhead. Beca was embarrassed. It had been a while but she wasn't usually this clumsy. "I'm sorry." Beca blushed.

Chloe looked over at Beca and could see the twinge of pink on her cheeks. She turned, laying on her side, facing Beca. She didn't say anything as she continued looked at the firefighter who was extremely nervous. Beca couldn't look at Chloe's intense eyes any longer. She turned her head towards the ceiling, taking her usual place in bed, on her back on top of the covers. Chloe took a deep breath. She pushed herself up and turned her body over, crawling over Beca, straddling her hips. She reached down for the hem of her blouse and pulled it over her head. It was the third night in a row Chloe made sure to put on sexy underwear. Not her usual comfortable ones but something lacey and sexy and matching. "Relax" Chloe whispered. Her hands again reached for the bottom of Beca's shirt. She pushed the material up slowly revealing Beca's hard toned stomach. The teacher leaned down. She placed wet open mouth kisses up Beca's stomach as she continued to push up the firefighter's shirt. Beca's body moved slightly as she allowed Chloe room to push her shirt up. Chloe's mouth continued upward. She passed over the material of Beca's bra to the woman's collarbone. She felt Beca's strong hands on her bra clad breasts and a thumb brush over her nipple. Chloe's mouth moved to the base of Beca's neck. She softly slid her lips up the side of Beca's neck to her earlobe, taking it in her mouth. Beca was growing more confident as she reached around Chloe to the clasp of the redhead's bra. She pulled the icy blue lace from Chloe's shoulders and returned her hands to the teacher's breasts caressing them softly. Chloe's mouth was finally on hers, their tongues met quickly battling for dominance. Chloe's hands quickly darted down for Beca's jeans, she pulled her mouth away from Beca's just to say, "I want you so bad."

That's all Beca needed to hear. She removed her hands from Chloe's body and reached down for her wrists. She grabbed them tightly and pulled Chloe's hands up. Holding them in the air in front of the Chloe's body. Chloe sat on top of her looking confused. Beca flipped them easily taking Chloe's breath away. She laid on her back looking up at Beca who was now pressing her body down on top of her. Beca released Chloe's wrists in favor of moving her hands down to Chloe jeans. She pulled the button open and pulled them down as the redhead assisted by shimming her hips. Her arms laid lazily above her head as she felt Beca's eyes on her. "You're so beautiful" was whispered so softly Chloe didn't think Beca meant to say it out loud. Beca moved back up to take Chloe's lips between hers as she felt the teacher wrap her legs tightly around her waist and the teachers skillful hands scratching across her back pulling at the clasp of her bra, working to remove it. Once it was out of the way Beca was pulled down and wrapped tightly in Chloe's arms as they continued until no clothes were left. Until they had explored every inch of each other's body. Until Beca knew that kisses to Chloe's left hip made the redhead shiver. Until she used that knowledge too much causing Chloe to push her off of her. Until she fell asleep. Flat on her back on top of the covers with red hair splashed across her chest and her legs tangled with the teachers.

 **XxXxXx**

She was cold. She remembered falling asleep warm, hot even. Beca was hot. Like a furnace. Chloe rolled over hoping to cozy up next to the brunette but was met with an empty bed. Her eyes opened. She pushed herself up and looked around the room. The bathroom door was open and the light was on. She could see puffs of steam rolling out. Chloe turned towards the clock. 7:12 am. It was Friday. She had to be at school by 9 am and Beca was reporting today for another 3 day rotation. She climbed out of bed and picked up Beca's shirt from last night off the floor. Chloe pulled her head threw it and pulled it down as far as it would go making her way out of Beca's room and into the brunette's kitchen. She was thrilled there was already fresh hot coffee in the pot on the counter. Chloe knew she needed to be quick. She knew she needed to shower, eat and change before getting to school. Remembering there were bagels in the fridge, Chloe found them and dropped a half into Beca's toaster while she made her a cup of coffee. The bagel popped up perfectly toasted and Chloe smeared it with cream cheese. Next on her list was a shower. She held the bagel between her teeth, grabbed the hot mug and made her way to the bathroom. When she entered the room, the steam was pouring out of the bathroom. Chloe sat her mug down and balanced the bagel on the top as she reached down and rid herself of Beca's t-shirt. She quickly picked up her breakfast and made her way into the bathroom. Chloe could only make out Beca's silhouette through the fogged door. Balancing her breakfast again, Chloe pulled the door open and stepped into the shower.

Beca turned to see Chloe behind her as she pushed the water and soap out of her hair. "What ya got?" Beca asked seeing Chloe with a bagel and coffee mug.

Chloe had a mouth full of bagel when Beca greeted her. She offered a closed mouth smile as she held the mug and bagel away from the water, leaning forward and meeting Beca's lips.

"Mmmm. Cream cheese." Beca licked her lips. Chloe held out the toasted breakfast for Beca who took a bite. Then met Chloe's lips again for a quick kiss.

"I need to borrow a shirt." Chloe said after she swallowed and then sipped her coffee.

Beca nodded as she wiped her hands over her face pulling water from her eyes.

"Ready to switch?" Chloe asked taking another bite.

"Yeah" Beca replied. Her hands went to Chloe's bare hips as she turned them around in the small space. She took the coffee and the remaining bagel from the redhead who immediately went to work washing her hair. Beca took a drink of the hot beverage. "Oh God yes" She moaned.

Chloe knew what she was talking about but didn't want to pass up a chance to tease Beca. "Seriously Beca. I'm trying to shower. Pervert."

"What?" Beca asked quickly.

Chloe mimicked the brunette with a moan.

"I was" Beca stammered, "the coffee. Not" Beca flushed. "Whatever" she huffed and went to push the door open.

Chloe giggled. "I'm teasing." Chloe reached her hands forward and found the sides of Beca's face. She pulled her to her and attached their lips in a heated kiss. Chloe pulled away and ducked back under the water. "Now get out of here. I don't want to be late."

Beca smirked and pushed the door open and left Chloe to finish.

 **XxXxXx**

"Are you sure this is okay?" Chloe asked as she climbed into the driver seat of Beca's Jeep. "I can ask Aubrey if she could pick me up or I could ask Tom for a ride home." Chloe suggested.

"It's fine. We don't have time to go back to your house, so just drop me at the fire station on your way to school. That way you won't have to worry about a ride home." Beca replied. "You'll have to pick me up on Sunday though."

"What about you? What if you need a car?" Chloe asked as she pulled out of Beca's apartment complex.

"I won't." Beca replied as she watched out the window.

"So, I didn't get to tell you." Chloe said slowly.

Beca's head turned quickly in her direction.

"But your mom called me into her office Tuesday." Chloe revealed.

"Why didn't you tell me? What did she say?" Beca questioned.

Chloe shrugged. "She didn't say too much. And it didn't come up the last few nights, especially last night. I was busy doing other things." Chloe winked.

Beca didn't fall for it. "It didn't come up because you didn't want it too." Beca replied quickly. "And I know my mother. Maybe she didn't use a lot of actual words, but I'm sure she said plenty."

Chloe licked her lips as she turned down the street the fire house was on. "Just the usual. Be careful and what not because you love to push people away."

Beca studied Chloe closely. "And?"

"And what?" Chloe asked.

"My mother told you that I love to push people away and you're just going to shrug that off? It doesn't bother you?" Beca asked.

"I don't know." Chloe sighed. She pulled onto the curb outside 72. After putting the Jeep in park she turned towards Beca. "I've been trying not to think about what would happen if you pushed me away." Chloe said honestly. "I've been trying not to think about how I'm feeling about you in such a short period of time."

Beca nodded slowly as she listened to Chloe.

"It's scary." Chloe whispered. "How I feel."

"How do you feel?" Beca asked nervously.

"Different." Chloe paused. "Different than I've ever felt." She swallowed hard, "even with Jake."

"Different good or different bad?" Beca asked.

Chloe chanced a glance at the clock on Beca's dash and then quickly back to Beca with wide eyes.

"We can talk about it later. Okay?" Beca asked. She knew Chloe only had 10 minutes to get to work.

"Really?" Chloe asked sweetly. She didn't want to leave Beca hanging but she knew she couldn't be late.

"Yeah, get to class Miss. Beale." Beca teased. She leaned forward and placed her lips on Chloe's softly.

"Be careful" Chloe whispered.

Beca reached into the back seat and pulled her backpack up to the front. She turned back to wink at Chloe and then climbed out of the Jeep. She watched as Chloe drove away towards the direction of the school.

The smile faded as she heard Jesse's voice booming from the station. "Becaw!"

 **XxXxXx**

The alarm blared. Everyone stopped.

"Flash fire. Hidden Hills Academy. 64782 Academy drive, Hidden Hills California. Requesting Ambulance 9 and Engine 72."

Beca's heart raced. She pushed herself up from the table and ran to the truck bay.

"Where do you think you're going Mitchell?" Bumper asked as he climbed on the firetruck.

"I'm going." Beca argued.

"You're not even dressed." Bumper laughed at her.

Beca jumped onto the step of the truck as it began to pull away. She turned back towards the garage to see Jesse standing in the empty bay shaking his head at her. Beca pulled herself into the cab and settled in between to members of Engine Company. "What?" She asked.

Bumper raised his eyebrow at her as he pulled on his glove. "You're on the sidelines for this."

"Bullshit" Beca argued loudly.

"This is not even your call Mitchell. You're benched." Bumper replied forcefully.

She knew he was right. She knew she'd probably get yelled at by Chief Smith when she got back to the house but there was no way she wasn't going to the school. Chloe was there. Her mother was there.

The truck pulled into the school parking lot with Ambulance 9 right behind it. All of the kids were spread out over the football field in lines with their teachers. Beca jumped out of the truck quickly and let out a sigh of relief when the truck was met by her mother. She stood next to Bumper and listened.

"We had a bit of an incident in the science lab. An experiment went wrong. A couple of kids are injured. They are with a few teachers and the school nurse in the building. We evacuated the remaining students as a precaution." Dean Lewis gave the rundown.

"And the fire?" Bumper asked.

"Extinguished" Dean Lewis answered.

"Okay." He said before turning back towards his team. "Let's go check it out boys." He said over comms and made his way towards the truck.

Beca was left standing with her mother. "You okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine Beca. Thank you for your concern." Her mother answered.

"Where is Chloe?" Beca asked quickly.

"She should be on the football field. She assisted with the evacuation" Dean Lewis answered trailed off at the end. She knew Beca didn't hear the end of what she said as she took off in the direction of the field.

Beca spotted Chloe quickly as she jogged towards the groups of students and teachers.

"Beca!" Harry squealed with excitement. "You came!"

Beca smiled at the little boy she remembered. "Of course I did. I promised you I would." Beca said with a smile.

Chloe turned on her heels after hearing Harry call Beca's name. She watched their exchange as she made her way over to the firefighter. "What are you doing here?" Chloe asked taking in Beca's appearance. She was dressed exactly like she was when Chloe dropped her off.

"There is no way I won't respond to a call coming in for this school" Beca whispered as she tried to speak as privately as she could with Chloe. "They didn't call in squad only Engine but I jumped on board anyway."

"Baby" Chloe whined sweetly.

"Are you okay?" Beca asked taking a good look at Chloe.

"Yeah. My rooms not anywhere near the Science department." Chloe answered. "It was a little scary though. You know with everything that's happening."

"Yeah. I know" Beca frowned.

"Mitchell" Beca turned back towards the truck. Bumper was waving her over.

"I should go." Beca said.

"Thanks for coming. It makes me feel better. Knowing you'll always come for me." Chloe smiled sweetly.

"Always." Beca whispered.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe pulled Beca's jeep up to the curb in front of the fire house on Sunday. She turned the engine off and leaned her head back against the headrest as she waited for Beca to come out so they could grab a quick bite to eat and then head back to Beca's for the night. That was the plan they decided upon last night on the phone. It had been another long three days for Chloe not being able to see Beca. Her nights were restless. She found that she tossed and turned. It was worry. Worrying about Beca. Worrying that she would get called in. Worrying that she would be in danger.

Her best friend noticed. She noticed Chloe looked tired. She noticed Chloe locked herself up in her room painting. Aubrey decided to intervene on her first day off. Yesterday, Aubrey took her to the beach to relax and soak up some sun. Which they did. It was peacefully and it was relaxing. Now, she just wanted to pick up Beca and have a nice relaxing night in. What she didn't notice was that the firetrucks and ambulance were missing from the bay of the firehouse.

Beca latched the snaps on her jacket and pushed the Velcro tightly together all the way down her chest. She reached in her pocket and pulled out her protective hood. She pulled it over her head, adjusting her comms system, and then pulling her helmet on. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. Mentally preparing. The fire they were responding to was most likely set on purpose. Designed to injury and kill them. She took a deep steadying breath.

"1 minute" Theo's voice rang in her ear.

Beca's eyes met Jesse's as they silently promised to protect the other.

One minute later as promised Beca hopped down out of Ladder truck 72 and raced towards the large hotel. She strapped her mask tightly around her face and breathed in the oxygen.

"According to specs, there are 410 guest rooms over 9 floors. No guest rooms on ground floor but there is a lobby, small bar and a restaurant.

"Copy that" Beca replied as she and her squad team entered the structure. "Is there a count yet?"

"Negative. Hotel management is working on it. I'll have that number to you as soon as we have it." Chief Smith replied.

Beca knew it wouldn't mean much. People could be out sightseeing in LA. Just because they weren't accounted for immediately didn't mean they were trapped in the building. But it was a start. "Are we the only house responding?"

"Currently but we are working on that." Chief replied.

"Chief Smith" Jesse asked over comms.

"Go for Smith." The chief responded.

"How many rooms on each floor?" He asked.

"Floors 2 through 7 have 55 guest rooms. Floors 8 and 9 have 40" He answered.

Jesse turned towards Beca. "It's going to take the 5 of us forever to search 410 room."

Beca didn't immediately reply but she nodded in his direction. She looked through expansive first floor of the building. This was the kind of hotel that you took someone special to for a nice night on the town to get away from normal day to day life. A night to get away and relax in an expensive hotel. She reached for her comm box, "Squad 61 requesting firefighter assistance in search and rescue from Engine 72." Beca called out. It was ridiculous how she had to ask for help but it was protocol.

"Copy that Mitchell." Bumper replied before turning to his unit and signaling them towards the hotel.

"Uh, Chief. We don't have any sprinklers going off in here." Beca said as she looked around the lobby. It wasn't filled with flames and they weren't sure where the actual fire was coming from but there was enough smoke and it was hot enough in the smaller rooms for the sprinklers come on.

"Let me get back to you on that" Chief Smith replied.

Bumper's team huddled down with the members of squad. "Partner up. One Squad to One Engine." Beca ordered. The men nodded and quickly found a partner.

"Mitchell Report" Chief Smith requested.

"Organizing but about to begin search and rescue." Beca reported back.

"Copy that. We have a preliminary list of unaccounted for guests and room assignments." Chief Smith said quickly.

That was a relief to Beca. At least they knew what rooms didn't need to be checked immediately, significantly reducing the number they would need to search.

"Your teams can eliminate floors 3 and 8 from your immediate search. They can be added to secondary sweep." He continued.

"Copy that Chief." Beca replied, "Swanson take 2. Dax on 4 and 3. Jeremy 5, Theo 6. I'll take 7, 9 and 8." Beca assigned.

"Negative." Jesse began to say.

"Search your floor and evacuate." Beca ordered looking directly at Jesse. "Let's move."

After the final order the squad members and their engine counterparts made their way to their assigned floors.

Chloe's eyes shot open as her phone sounded. It was the alarm for breaking news in the area. She pulled the device out from under her right leg where she tucked it when she drove and read the headline. She turned back towards the house quickly. "Shit" Chloe cursed under her breath. The firetrucks weren't there. Her heart sank in her chest and she felt like she could throw up. Chloe didn't know what to do. Sit and wait or go home? With her phone in her hand she opened up her text app and immediately sent Beca a message.

 _Beca: Just saw the news. Call or text me and I'll come pick you up when your ready._

She read and re-read the text several times before deciding it didn't sound nervous or anxious which was exactly how she was feeling. She sent the text, tucked her phone under her leg and started up Beca's Jeep and headed back home to wait and worry.

Beca climbed the stairs following her unit. She watched them peel off from the group to their assigned floors. She moved her legs as fast as she could. "Southeast stairwell clear." She reported back to the Chief.

"Copy that Mitchell. Police believe this is a deliberate fire. Related to the other two." Chief Smith informed. "Additional houses in route to assist."

"Copy that Chief" Beca replied as she and her engine partner arrived on the 7th floor, pushing open the door and entering the hallway.

"This is Shepard. Source of the fire is on 5. Room 519." Beca heard Jeremy's voice in her ear.

"Condition report" She asked just as the end of her axe rammed the first hotel room door slamming it open. "Fire department call out" She yelled loudly as she heard the next room door also slam open and the same call loudly from Matt her engine counterpart. "Jeremy. Condition report." Beca asked again. She quickly searched the bedroom and bathroom of the hotel room finding no one. "Mitchell. 715 clear."

"Go for Shepard" Jeremy finally reported back.

"What the conditions on the floor?" Beca asked again.

"Whoever was in this room is who we are looking for. Everything was on fire in there. As soon as we opened the door it began to pour out. It's spreading quickly. Conditions rapidly deteriorating." Jeremy replied coughing.

"2 is clear" Jesse's voice sounded through the speaker. "9 people evacuated. Swanson and Knox clear."

Beca breathed a sigh of relief. She knew as soon as they entered the expensive hotel that it was set for them. Knew that it was probably filled with traps aimed at hurting them. Killing them. She wanted her best friend out of that hotel as quickly as possible.

"Copy that Swanson. Dean and Conrad are waiting by the exit of the southeast stairwell." Chief Smith answered him. "Injury report?"

"None. 2 had some smoke but otherwise clear." Jesse answered.

Stacie stood several feet from the emergency exit on the southeast corner of the hotel waiting patiently. She looked up at the building wondering what was happening inside. Even though she could hear everything that was going on and could hear as the firefighters call out room numbers as they cleared them she was still nervous. She finally saw feet quickly descending the steps. "This way" she called out. As the first 9 survivors emerged from the building a loud explosion was heard overhead. She looked up at the sudden noise as the people around her screamed in terror. She was able to turn away quickly to avoid the shattered glass that was raining down on them.

"Get away! This way" CR yelled as she tried to gather everyone and lead them from the building. "Stacie!" She turned back to her frozen friend.

* * *

 **AN: Almost 100 reviews on this already.. You guys are seriously the best. Thanks for all of your words and your advice. I love to hear your thoughts... And oh noooooo! What's going to happen?**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: I don't usually post at the beginning of a chapter but I think this needs a disclaimer. I wrote this before the events that took place in Manchester a couple days ago. Be warned that the contents below may be disturbing. Please skip this chapter if you don't want to read. I'll do my best to summarize the events in the next post.**

* * *

"Squad Report" Chief Smith demanded over the radio.

Jesse ran over to him with Bumper and looked up at the hotel. Flames were pouring out of the building as he counted the windows to find the source of the explosion.

"Dax and Tim on 4. We're okay." Was the first report, "It was above us. We have 7 guests. I'm sending them out with Tim and then I'll check 3."

"Copy that" Chief Smith replied.

"Theo and Jimmy. Ah, currently on 6. We have 3. One has some pretty bad smoke inhalation. Found in room 619 immediately above the source. Jimmy is checking the last room and then we are heading out." Theo summarized. "Where did that explosion come from? It felt like it was below us." He asked.

"Shepard. Mitchell. Report." Chief Smith asked.

Jesse continued watching the flames lap up the side of the building. He turned to the chief, "I'm going back in." He decided.

"No Swanson. You wait for a report." Chief Smith instructed.

Jesse clenched his fists as he stood powerless. The sounds of alarms ringing through the air settled him as two other firetrucks pulled up.

"We've got search and rescue in the building but we need to get the fire extinguished." He yelled out to the other house that just happened upon the scene.

The other firefighters acknowledged his request and began setting up the hoses in order to get water into the building.

"Shepard. Mitchell. Report." Chief called out again.

"Go for Mitchell." Beca finally replied.

Jesse felt like he could breathe again. Just for a moment.

"Sit rep." Chief Smith requested.

"We're okay. The explosion knocked us off our feet but no major injuries. Tim is headed down with 5. Mitchell climbing to 9." Beca reported. "Shepard report." She called out loudly.

Coughing was suddenly heard over the comms. "Shepard. Something blew."

Beca could tell he was dazed by the sound of his voice.

"I don" He coughed. "I don't know where it came from." He answered.

"Mike report" Bumper called out.

"I'm okay." Mike replied as he followed closely behind Jeremy on the 5th floor.

"Chief?" Mike asked.

"Go for Smith." The chief responded.

"How many did you say were unaccounted for on 5?" He asked as he and Jeremy maneuvered quickly through the rooms.

"17" Chief replied quickly. "One seven." He clarified. "What's your count?" Chief asked.

"Zero." Mike replied.

"Repeat" Chief Smith asked again.

"Zero Chief. We found no one. 5 is clear." Jeremy replied loudly.

She meant to drive straight home and wait. She meant to remain calm and not panic but as soon as Chloe pulled away from the empty firehouse, she drove in the direction of the expensive hotel. The one the breaking news alert she received on her phone told her was on fire. The one she knew Beca had to be at. It was chaos. Fire trucks swarmed the area. Police cars outlined the parking lot pushing on-lookers back. Ambulances steadily rolled in as people continued to run out of the building. Chloe parked the Jeep haphazardly along the road and jumped out of the driver's seat. She ran to the police barrier, pushing her way through people.

"No Miss, I'm sorry. You can't go any further." The officer warned.

Chloe felt hands on her shoulder's stopping her. Holding her back. She looked up at the building horrified. She felt her body trembling. She felt the wetness on her face. But she couldn't move anymore. She could only watch on. Helplessly. Her hands flew to cover her face when a fireball blew through several windows. She watched the glass shards fly through the air. She watched them fall. Watched them sparkle as the sun hit them. People around her screamed. People around the scene scrambled. She was frozen.

"Fuck" Beca mumbled as she pushed herself to her feet in the hallway of the 9th floor. She turned back towards the 4 people she founded huddled together in the bathroom of a large suite. "Everyone okay?" She asked.

They nodded quickly as they all latched onto each other tightly once again.

"Mitchell. I have four on 9 and two rooms to check." She reported.

"Copy that Mitchell. You have 5 minutes." Chief Smith informed her.

"Five minutes?" Beca questioned.

"Affirmative." She heard in her ear.

"I have another floor to check Chief." Beca informed.

"We have zero water Mitchell. They hydrants have been tampered with. We can't connect. The only water we have is from the trucks and they will give us about 20 minutes of water. This hotel is going to burn to the ground." He replied.

"Copy Chief." Beca said as she slammed open the last door at the end of the hallway. "Fire department call out."

Beca heard a faint cry for help. "Fire department call out" She yelled again. She turned into one of the bedrooms of the large suite. A girl who couldn't be much older than 14 was huddled in a corner with another small child held tightly to her chest. Beca waived her hands for the two. "It's okay. Come on we need to get out of here." She said as calmly as she could muster. "It's okay. I'm going to help you."

The teenager nodded slowly and began to push herself up to her feet. She sat the young boy on his feet and gripped his hand tightly as they ran to Beca falling into her arms. "It's okay. I got you. I got you." She said as she held the two kids tightly. "Where's your parents?" She asked as she pushed them back to look into their large scared eyes. Beca reached up and removed her oxygen mask so they could see her face better. "It's okay. My name's Beca. What's your name?" She asked.

"Mmadison." Was the shaky response she got from the older girl.

"Okay Madison. Where are your parent's?" Beca asked again as her eyes scanned the room.

"I don't know." Was her answer.

"Are they in here?" Beca asked.

"Nnoo."

That was enough for Beca as she scooped up both children and ran for the exit of the room to the four she left in the hallway.

"Mitchell. I'm sending 6 out. I have two kids whose parents left them alone." She reported down.

"No- Noo" Madison began to protest turning back towards the firefighter.

"It's okay Madison. You're getting out of here, I promise." Beca said soothingly.

She led the small group to the southeast stairwell and down one flight. She stopped them on the 8th floor. All the guests assigned to this floor had already been accounted for. It was supposed to be empty but she wasn't going to leave without checking. Smoke was steadily filling the stairwell and she knew she needed to get these 6 guests out. "Shepard?" She called over radio.

"In the well of 5." Jeremy called back. "Second explosion didn't come from 5. It was above me. Southeast stairwell still clear. Send down your six." He responded.

"Copy that" Beca replied. She turned back towards the 6 people and the oldest man. "What's your name?"

"Brian" He answered.

"Okay Brian. You take them down three floors. You do not stop. There is a fireman waiting for you on the 5th floor. He will take you out the rest of the way." She instructed.

"Okay, okay" he replied quickly.

"You do not stop." She said again.

He shook his head in understanding.

"Okay. Go." She said. Brian picked up the small boy and the woman he was with, who Beca assumed was his girlfriend or wife, grabbed Madison's hand and quickly led the group down the steps. Beca sank down to the floor resting on a knee. She pulled her oxygen mask back over her face and adjusted her helmet as she waited to hear from Jeremy. The building rattled again but the stairwell was holding strong. 30 seconds later, "Shepard with six. Evacuating." She heard Jeremy's voice as he reported receiving the group. Beca turned back towards the door of floor eight and pulled it open quickly.

Chief Smith stood with the hotel manager as they worked to account for all guests. As people were being lead out of the building they were being crossed off the register. Hotel staff were calling phone numbers guests left upon booking and confirming they were okay. "How many?" He asked the manager.

"29" The manager repeated.

"That can't be right. We've checked all the floors. I've someone on 8 right now but you told me everyone on 8 has been accounted for. So how could 29 people be unaccounted for?" He demanded.

"I don't know. The eighth floor was booked by a group. A ahh- a high school group from Kansas. They haven't checked in yet so eight is empty. The remaining 29 are registered throughout the hotel. Rooms on 7, 3, 4, 5, 9." The manager answered quickly.

"I have 6 coming down from 9." Chief Smith argued just as she saw Jeremy leading them out of the building. Awaiting hotel staff quickly took their names as they were surrounded by paramedics.

Chief Smith and the manager watched as the hotel staff member ran towards them. Nine is clear except for 2. It looks like they may have left their children alone." He said out of breath.

"23" the manager said turning towards the fire chief.

"You're telling me 23 people are in that hotel?" He questioned.

"Yes." The manager insisted.

"My people checked the entire building. They don't miss people. They don't leave people behind." He said sternly.

"Chief" Beca's voice sounded shaky over the intercom.

"I'm being told 23 people are unaccounted for Mitchell. What's your location?" He asked.

"I think I know where they are." Beca said. She stood looking down the long hallway. When she first opened the door it took her a minute to adjust to the sight in front of her. "I'm going to need more than 5 minutes."

Stacie turned up the radio so she could hear what was happening in the building. Jesse stopped. He was helping with basic first aid for all of the people coming out of the building but heard the distress in his best friend's voice.

"Mitchell Report" Chief Smith demanded.

"It's a trap" Beca reported back.

"Repeat" Chief Smith requested.

Jesse handed the first aid supplies he had in his hand to another fireman who was also helping. He picked up his helmet and secured it to his head and adjusted his oxygen mask.

Stacie attached an oxygen mask to one of the hotel guests and turned on the flow. She instructed them on how to take deep breaths as she reached down for the volume knob of her radio.

Chloe's eyes darted around. She could see Jesse. She could see Theo. She could see Stacie and CR. She could see Bumper. But she couldn't see the one that mattered the most. "Amy! Amy!" Chloe called out as the cop crossed in front of her.

"Chloe?" Amy said turning towards the art teacher. "Are you okay?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, What's going on? Is everyone okay?." Chloe asked quickly.

"What are you doing here?" Amy asked making her way towards her.

"I heard about the fire on the news and" Chloe trailed off. "What's going on? Is Beca okay?" She asked.

"You shouldn't be here Chloe." Amy replied.

"Mitchell Repeat." Chief Smith called again.

Beca stood motionless in the hallway. She could hear herself breathing heavily. She could hear the huff and puffs of her individual breaths echo in her mask. She looked down the long corridor in disbelief. All of this was a set up. All of this led them to this floor, to this moment.

"The doors are all tied together." She began to inform the team outside the hotel. "The door handles are all tied together strung from the rooms across from each other. They are tied so the rooms can't be opened from the inside." Beca continued. "Fire department call out" Beca shouted as loud as she could.

Jesse, Theo, Dax and Jeremy stood at the emergency exit waiting for Beca's description to continue. They were waiting for her call for help. Waiting to rush into the building and help their friend.

After her call some of the doors tried to open but couldn't. She watched as the doors cracked a couple of inches but slammed shut immediately frustrating the people on the other side. She watched the ropes give and almost dance forwards and backwards with each pull. "Stop" She yelled. "I'm going to get you out but stop opening the doors." She instructed watching the large suspended item bob up and down at the end of the hallway. Beca slowly maneuvered around the ropes. She had to duck under them as to not disturb the rope in any manner. She could hear the cries for help on the other side of some of the doors. She swallowed roughly. "Towards the end of the hall." Beca tried to say calmly as the eyes she approached grew in fear as they shook their heads quickly. "Its okay." Beca said to them hoping to sooth their fears. "Towards the end of the hall are 5 kids." Her voice broke. It was anger. It was fear. It was sadness. "They are bound and gaged."

Jesse looked around at his squad team members as he continued to listen to Beca describe the scene on the eighth floor.

"They are situated in front of a wooden box." Beca swallowed again. "It um" She inspected it carefully. It looks handmade. It's about the size of a basketball and looks to be hallow. The kids are sitting around it." An uneasy feeling filled Beca's stomach. "I think it's some kind of homemade bomb."

"Copy that Mitchell. Can you move the kids?" Chief Smith asked. "Then we can get the people out of the rooms." He suggested.

"Negative chief." Beca said as she looked down at the bomb. "Their glued to it." Beca whispered.

"Repeat?"

"They have a hand glued to the bomb. I can't move them." Beca repeated as she tried to pull one of the kid's hand off the wood. She couldn't believe her eyes. What kind of a monster would do this? She pulled her oxygen mask off and bent down. She looked closely at the kid's hands, their cries muffled by the gags in their mouths. They were cemented to this bomb.

"Call in the bomb squad" Jesse said quickly over the radio. "Get out of there Beca." He urged.

"I'm not leaving them" Beca replied quickly. "And we don't have time for the bomb squad. This smoke is getting bad up here."

"We are working on getting the fire under control Mitchell." Chief Smith replied.

"I'm going in." Jesse said loudly.

"Negative." Beca fired back. "I don't need any more lives in danger up here."

"Stacie!" Amy called as she made her way to the paramedic. Stacie turned quickly towards her roommate. "Chloe?" Stacie said as the redhead followed quickly behind the cop.

"She was over there. Kind of panicking." Amy answered. "Can she stay with you?"

Stacie looked around. Most of the guests had been treated and the ones that needed to get to the hospital had been transported already. "Yeah, I guess." Stacie said as she waived Chloe towards the ambulance.

"Thank you" Chloe said sheepishly.

"Sit here. Don't move." Stacie instructed.

"What's going on?" Chloe asked.

"It's bad." Stacie answered as she held her radio up for Chloe to be able to hear just in time to hear the word.

"Bomb?" She asked turning towards the tall brunette.

Stacie looked down at her. Her expression plagued with fear.

"Describe the device." Chief Smith ordered.

"It's about the size of a basketball, constructed of wood. There are several small holes that look like they were drilled into it. I don't see any timers or wires or anything like that. Um" Beca wiped the sweat that was pouring down her face as she leaned down to look inside the wooden ball. "Inside it looks like some kind of wax. It's kind of yellowish. It's weird, it smells like garlic." She described.

"White phosphorus." Chief Smith replied quickly. "That's a chemical bomb Beca. It's just a matter of time before it goes off. It's combustible when air hits it."

"Well, that explains why the rope's that are tied to the door knobs are dangling a cinder block over it." Beca said tilting her body up to the cement block hanging in the air a few feet above the box. "If I open those doors or cut the ropes, this block will come down and smash this box open exposing the white phosphorus." She said as she sat back on her heels and looked back at the terrified faces of the children in front of her.

"If I somehow manage to move this device and the kids who are glued to it, as soon as enough air hits it, it will blow." She said thinking out loud. "Any ideas?" She asked.

The radio was silent. As everyone thought about the possibilities, trying to run through scenarios in their heads for the possible solution.

"I'm coming up." Jesse said quickly. "I'll get the block and then you can open the doors without it smashing the bomb."

"No Jesse. We still can't move the kids. When enough air gets to the white phosphorus, it will explode." Beca said continuing to think through the problem.

"We need the bomb squad Chief" Jesse said over radio comm again.

"No one else needs to be in danger Jesse. I'm already here and I'm not leaving them." Beca said as she looked into the kid's red glassy eyes.

"Nail polish." Chloe said softly looking up at Stacie.

"What?" Stacie said quickly.

"Remover." Chloe clarified. "Nail polish remover." She repeated as Stacie pleaded with her eyes for Chloe to elaborate. "It will dissolve the super glue."

"Guys" Stacie said loudly over radio as she held eye contact with Chloe. "Nail polish remover will dissolve the super glue."

"Nail polish remover?" Theo asked looking back at Stacie who stood with Chloe near the ambulance.

"No wait" Jesse said loudly. "That's acetone, isn't it?"

Beca looked at the tiny hands that were glued to the device. There was no way she could pull the kids hands off without pulling off their skin and moving them and the device wasn't an option. "Will acetone mix with white phosphorus?" Beca asked.

"You're not considering this" Jesse asked quickly. "It's an accelerant Beca. The building you're in is on fire." He shouted as he looked up the side of the building. The flames continuously climbing from floor to floor.

"Chief. Will it mix?" Beca asked.

"It won't set if off but it will make it worse when it does go off." He said. "And it will go off Beca. It's a matter of time as air circulates around that device." He said warningly.

"Copy that Chief." Beca said looking back at the five frightened kids. "I'm going to take the rag out of your mouth okay?" She said softly looking at the hostages. "Okay?" She asked again. The majority of them shook their heads affirmatively. Beca reached forward, careful not to disturb the bomb, and slowly pulled the gags out of the individual kid's mouths. "It's okay" She said soothingly. "We're going to get out of here okay?" She said. They nodded through their constant tears.

"We've got the acetone. What do you want to do Mitchell?" Chief Smith asked over the radio.

Chloe's hands flew over her mouth as she listened.

"It's our best bet." Beca said.

"Copy that" Chief Smith replied. "Let's get that ladder truck over here and up to that window." He shouted as he pointed to the hallway window on what was the eighth floor of the building.

Jesse ran over to Chief Smith who just received a gallon of acetone from the bomb squad. He took it from the Chief and then sprinted over to the truck. Jesse climbed up on the back and began climbing the ladder as it moved vertically towards the floor Beca was on. The ladder jolted to a stop suddenly and Jesse held on tightly to the ladder with one hand and the acetone with the other. He balanced the gallon jug on the ladder as he reared his elbow back and smashed the glass window. He pulled back a couple of times knocking as much glass out of the way as he could. "Jesus" He whispered as he got a look at the maze of rope that was suspended in the air throughout the hallway.

Beca held her breath as she felt a small gust of air fill then hallway after Jesse smashed the window. "I'll be right back okay? I promise" Beca said looking down at the kids. "Don't move okay?"

The nodded quickly.

Beca maneuvered her way through the ropes again, careful not to bump against them in case they would unravel and release the cinder block.

It felt as if time was standing still as Chloe looked up at the building. A whimper escaped her lips as she watched the ladder reach up to the building. Stacie turned towards her. "She'll be okay." Stacie said unconvincingly. "She has to be okay." Stacie repeated. Her hand reached down and linked itself with one of Chloe's searching for comfort.

Jesse handed the gallon over to Beca. "Are you sure about this?" He asked.

"I don't have any other choice." Beca answered. "As soon as they are free, I'll bring them over. Then I'll move the bomb and then open the rooms." Beca said laying out her plan.

"We still don't know what's in those rooms B" Jesse said warily.

"I know" Beca sighed. She turned back towards the long hallway and began crawling through them again. Once she made it back to the kids she dropped to her knees. Beca sat the gallon of accelerant down on the floor. She pulled her gloves off of her hands and then reached up to pull the Velcro off her jacket and unlatch it.

Jesse watched her pull her bunker coat off. "What are you doing?" He asked loudly over comms.

"I'm going to place it over the device to keep the air out." Beca said calmly. She steadied herself as she lowered the large coat over the wooden box. She reached down and opened the gallon of acetone. "I'm going to get your hand off okay." She said turning towards the youngest girl. "What's your name?" She said.

"Jennifer Alison Prescott" The girl answered quickly.

"How old are you?" Beca asked.

"6" was the heartbreaking answer Beca received.

"Okay Jennifer, this won't hurt, I promise." Beca said just before she slowly poured some of the liquid around Jennifer's hand. Beca slowly pried Jennifer's small hand away little by little as the acetone ate through the super glue. She'd freed her fingers and then let some of the liquid seep down Jennifer's palm as she continued prying the girls hand from the device. Once it was free, Beca and Jennifer both let out a sigh of relief. "I got one. I'm sending her to the ladder. "Beca reported.

"Now, Jennifer. You have to stay really really low okay. Just like I did so you don't bump these ropes. My friend Jesse is waiting for you by that window. He's going to get you out of here okay?" Beca explained.

"Okay." Jennifer replied.

"Okay, you have to crawl. Stay really low." Beca instructed as she helped Jennifer down to her stomach. "Really low."

Beca watched as Jennifer crawled slowly under all the ropes the entire length of the hallway. She heard Jesse shouting for the little girl, telling her she was doing great and to keep going because she was almost there. As soon as Jennifer reached the window she stood up and Jesse's hands immediately scooped her up and pulled her out of the window. Beca turned back towards the next child and started over.

"Oh my God" Stacie said watching Jesse hand the little girl to Theo who stood below him on the ladder. "It worked. She got one." Stacie said squeezing Chloe's hand and turning towards the redhead. Chloe's eyes continued spilling tears down her face as her mind raced. Any moment she could watch that building explode. Any moment she could watch Beca's life end. At any moment. It was overwhelming. She felt like she was going to throw up. She felt dizzy. She felt like she could pass out. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Hear Beca's mother's words in her ears. She felt herself losing it. Chloe pulled her hand from Stacie's and turned away from the building. She couldn't watch anymore. She couldn't stand there and watch Beca die. She heard Stacie faintly calling her name as she ran from the ambulance and towards the parking lot where she left the Jeep. But she didn't stop. Her feet were moving away quickly. Away from her fears, away from the danger, away from Beca.

Beca looked up at the vent that was in the ceiling above them. She could see flames beginning to snake out of the vent, licking at the walls. "Fires in the ventilation system." She reported down.

"That means it's in the rooms Beca." Theo said from his position on the ladder truck as she climbed back up having just delivered the little girl to another firefighter.

She turned to see the doors beginning to open again. She could see the ones that held hostages pull the ropes. Beca looked up at the block that bounced above their heads. She began pouring acetone on the next little kid's hand. "Stop opening the doors. I will get you out." She yelled but it didn't satisfy the people behind those doors. She pried the next little boys hand off and instructed him to crawl as fast as he could to the window. She watched him over half way there and then turned back to work on the next kid. Beca glanced up at the block watching it violently move up and down. She heard a loud groan to her right and turned to look over her shoulder. Someone had opened a door wide enough to squeeze a small knife through it. She could see them frantically try to cut the rope. She could see dark grey smoke pouring out of the cracked door. She freed the next child and sent her on her way with instructions to not stop and to go as fast as she could. With her jacket off she could feel the air circulation pick up as the cinder block moved through the air. "I have two kids to go. But someone from inside one of the rooms is cutting the rope." She reported. She reached down and pulled her bunker coat off the bomb and wrapped it around the remaining two kids leaving only their exposed arm and hands.

"Beca, there are several windows that have been knocked out on 8. If those doors open the air is going to flow through and set off that chemical bomb. You need to hurry." Chief Smith instructed.

Beca turned to the door over her right shoulder to instruct them to stop just as she saw the last strand of rope cut and the door open quickly. She followed the rope with her eyes, unraveling its way through the knobs. She turned back just as the block was falling through the air.

"Beca!" Jesse called over the comm system as he watched the block begin to fall. He jumped from the ladder into the hallway.

Beca caught just enough of the falling cement block with her shoulder to knock it off its course and avoid it smashing the wood casing of the white phosphorus. She pushed herself up off the floor and grabbed the acetone and poured it around the two small hands remaining. She turned back down the hallway to see doors flying open and people frantically running out.

"Get them out Jesse" Beca reported to her best friend who was getting to his feet at the end of the hallway.

"Copy that." He replied.

Beca went back to work prying the tiny hands from the wooden box. With her jacket off she could feel the circulation pick up in the hallway from the open door. She looked down between her and the kids to the bomb. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or if it really was beginning to smoke. It didn't matter. She knew it was only a matter of time before it went off. She felt a hard pull at her shoulder yanking her backwards.

"My two kids they were on the ninth floor." The man shouted at her. "They came and took me and my wife but my kids." He continued yelling.

"Madison?" Beca asked quickly.

"Yes" He answered loudly. "They took me and my wife but my kids were hiding. They didn't know they were there." He said frantically.

Beca could hear Jesse calling her over the comms. "They are safe. They are outside. You need to go now." Beca instructed. "I promise. They are out with my team."

He seemed to understand and took a tentative step back before turning and running down the hallway.

Beca turned back and looked down at the frightened faces peeking out from under her jacket. She quickly poured the remaining acetone from the container. "I'm sorry" She said just under her breath as she reached down and grabbed the little wrist. She pulled quickly on one and then the other. The painful cries pierced her ears as she looked down to see that they were free. She knew she left most of those kids skin on that bomb but it was time to get out. Beca lunged forward and grabbed them both pulling them tightly to her chest. She could see Jesse and Theo yelling for her and waiving frantically for her to hurry but she couldn't hear them. She stood quickly and began running as fast as she could down the hallway.

Chloe sat in Beca's Jeep. She meant to drive away. To go home. To go anywhere but here but she couldn't make herself move. She was jolted and felt her body flinch violently at the sound of the explosion. She turned back to the hotel to see the vibrant red and orange flames push from the building.

* * *

 **AN2: I have such mixed emotions about this chapter. I really didn't want to even publish it. If you guys think I should take it down, I will. Please let me know. Thanks as always for reading.**


	15. Chapter 15

"I got them. I got them Beca. Just hold on." Jesse said loudly as the ladder truck retracted the ladder from the window.

Beca tightened her hold on the ladder as she dangled in the air. She made it to the window just in time to transfer the two little kids to Jesse. She thought they were going to be clear until she felt the heat on her back. It was hotter than anything she had ever felt before. Beca threw herself out of the window. She was able to hook her right arm over the top rung and grab the same one with her left hand. She squeezed at tightly as she could and avoided looking down. She felt Jesse's larger hand cover her left squeezing over hers just in case her grip failed. Then she felt him hook his arm under hers and pull her up onto the ladder.

Chloe looked back to see the fire ball blow out the side of the building. Once the smoke cleared she could see someone hanging from the ladder. She knew it was Beca. A sob broke from her body as she watched the ladder pull away and begin to lower. She watched Jesse pull her up to safety and then she turned away. Chloe rested her forehead on the steering wheel and cried. She let all the stress go. She let all the tears that fell from her eyes ease her body. She turned her head back, watching, her vision blurred by the tears falling from her eyes.

"Let me see" Stacie demanded as soon as Beca's boots were back on the ground. She grabbed Beca by her suspenders and turned her around. "You shouldn't have taken off your jacket." Stacie said with a wince as she got a look at the burns on back of Beca's left arm and shoulder. The skin was bubbled in some areas and in others it was completely missing exposing bloody meat. Stacie swallowed hard in efforts to regain her emotion. "We need to get you to the hospital immediately." Stacie said inspecting the charred skin closely. "These are bad, you need a doctor."

Beca nodded. She knew they were bad. She couldn't remember anything feeling this way. Her arm and her shoulder burned but not in a hot kind of way. It felt like her bones were on fire. "Are they okay?" Beca asked looking up at Stacie. "Are the kids okay?" She repeated.

"Yes Becs. Thanks to you" Stacie sighed, "they are all okay."

After hearing that Beca let Stacie lead her to the ambulance and sit her on the edge of the seat. As CR started out of the parking lot, Stacie began working on Beca.

"This is going to hurt Becs but I need to numb the area Beca so I can start to clean and hydrate it. It looks like you've got some of your shirt burned into the spot her on your shoulder. I need to get that out." Stacie warned.

"Shouldn't we wait till we aren't in the back of a moving vehicle?" Beca asked quickly.

"The longer we wait Beca the more it's just going to eat away at the tissue." Stacie answered. "I'm not going to lie though, this is gonna suck." She said as she prepared the needle with the lidocaine.

Beca took a deep breath through her nose. "Okay" She said as she began to prepare herself. "Just talk to me, take my mind off of it." Beca asked.

"What do you want to talk about?" Stacie asked as she prepared to give Beca the first injection.

"How did you know that nail polish remover would work?" Beca asked.

"I didn't" Stacie replied just as she began pushing the needle into Beca's burnt skin. "Chloe was there and she told me."

"Wwhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" Beca yelled as she pounded her fists into the chair. "That fucking hurts dude!" She screamed as Stacie pulled the needle from her shoulder. "Mother fucker that hurts." She yelled her voice breaking from the intense pain.

"Sorry" Stacie said as she prepared the next syringe. "I need to do it again."

"No fucking way" Beca said as she worked to control her breathing as sweat rolled down her face. "And what they hell do you mean Chloe told you?"

"She told me" Stacie repeated.

"What was she doing there?" Beca asked surprisingly calm.

"She was worried about you." Stacie said plainly as she began pushing the new needle into the back of Beca's arm.

"Stooop! Beca cried, begging loudly. "Please, no more. Please stop" She begged as the needle was removed.

"You'll thank me later when they scrub that out at the hospital." The paramedic replied as she tossed the used needles into the sharps bin.

"Scrub?" Beca whispered.

"Um hum" Stacie hummed.

"Wait. Where is she now? Where did she go?" Beca rattled off.

"She left." Stacie mumbled.

"She what?" Beca asked, turning her head to the left to where her friend still sat behind her.

"She left Beca. I'm sorry. She heard about the fire on the news and came over. The police wouldn't let her in but she saw Amy I guess and Amy brought her over to me. She could hear everything on the radio and that's when she told me about the nail polish remover. We listened to what was going on and I guess it just got to be too much for her because she left."

Beca sat silently and nodded as Stacie filled her in.

"I'm sure she's fine. She just probably needs time to let all of this sink in." Stacie offered. "We're here" She said as CR ran over the familiar strips on the ground in front of UCLA Emergency Room.

The ambulance came to a stop and Beca jumped out of the back. She walked into the familiar ER with Stacie and CR and waited to be told where to go. "Can you find out if Posen is here? My phone's back at the house and I need to call Chloe." Beca asked her tall brunette friend.

Chloe sat in the Beca's jeep looking up at the sky that had begun turning from gorgeous bright blue to a darker shade. She wasn't sure when she stopped crying but she wasn't anymore. Her cheeks felt tight from the dried water tracks and her eyes felt horribly dry. Chloe barely registered the ringing sound coming from her right. It sounded like it was underwater. Chloe took a deep breath willing herself back to life. She felt completely emotionally exhausted. She turned her head to the right to see Aubrey's name flashing across her screen. Chloe didn't make a move to reach for the phone, she just watched it ring and it eventually rolled into her voicemail. She turned her head back to the darkening sky and ran through her afternoon again slowly in her mind. She had been excited to pick up Beca. To go back to her apartment and enjoy being with each other after three long days apart. Then she got the news alert and that's when her heart began pounding in her chest and didn't slow until a few minutes ago. It didn't slow as she pushed herself through the crowd of gawkers watching the hotel fire play out. It didn't slow as she followed quickly behind Amy to where Stacie was. It certainly didn't slow when she learned there was a bomb inches from Beca and it didn't slow as she listened to Beca describe the horrible scene laid out on the 8th floor of the expensive hotel. Hearing Beca's voice over the radio took Chloe's breath away. Beca's voice was a mix of hesitation and resolution. She could hear Beca's nervousness with the situation but also heard the determination. Her heart beat out of her chest as she listened until she finally couldn't take it anymore. Until she needed a moment to collect her thoughts and to try and calm herself. She didn't know how it was going to play out but she needed to prepare herself so she ran. She didn't want Stacie to see her breakdown any further than she already had. She didn't want it getting back to Beca. She knew she'd have to come clean but she didn't need anyone to see her unable to catch her breath. Chloe didn't need anyone see her unable to calm the tears. She had seen the building blow up and then she saw a small figure hanging from the ladder. There wasn't another level of anxiety to reach and it didn't matter that Beca was literally hanging a hundred feet off the ground and one slip from falling to her death. Chloe found that she was actually somewhat relieved that at least Beca was finally out of the building. She cried as she watched Stacie bring Beca to the ambulance. She cried as she followed the ambulance to the hospital and she continued crying up until 20 minutes ago when her eyes finally dried out. She sat in the Jeep in the parking lot of the hospital looking up at the sky as her phone began ringing again. Again she looked over at the display and saw Aubrey's name and again she let the call roll to voicemail. Chloe sighed deeply. She felt horrible. She felt horrible that she wasn't answering the phone because she knew Aubrey was calling about Beca. 'What kind of girlfriend doesn't answer the phone?' Was the thought that continuously rolled through her head. But then she would remember that they hadn't declared themselves anything official and they hadn't even been on a real date. So what were they? Friends? Friends with benefits? Yes she wanted Beca to be her girlfriend but they hadn't spoken about it, which also made her feel horrible. She was positive that Stacie had told Beca that she was there and positive that Beca would be mad about that and also worried about her. But she still couldn't bring herself to reach three feet to her right for her cell phone and pick up the call.

"She won't answer the phone." Aubrey said quietly to Stacie as they stood outside the room Beca had been brought to. Aubrey looked worried. "What did she say when she left?"

Stacie shook her head slowly and rolled her eyes, "she didn't say anything. She just left." Stacie huffed. "I knew she wouldn't be able to handle this. Typical."

"Excuse me?" Aubrey asked jumping to her best friend's defense. "What do you mean by that?"

Stacie shrugged. "She wasn't into Beca for anything but the idea of fucking a firefighter." Stacie said rudely. She turned to look through the glass doors of the hospital room to see Beca still laying on her stomach while a doctor applied ointment to the back of her shoulder and arm. "You know" She turned back towards Aubrey, "I asked her what she wanted from Beca. The night Beca punched Luke."

Aubrey nodded remembering the night. She crossed her arms across her chest and listened intently.

"She told me she liked Beca. That she felt drawn to her and that she'd never felt like that before. She said she wanted to be there for her to take care of her when she needed it. Even if it was only as a friend. And where is she now? When Beca really needs her? She ran away the first chance she got, I mean literally ran away." Stacie rattled off. "She can't handle one incident? One fire." She shook her head. "Beca shouldn't be in there worrying if we can get ahold of her 'girlfriend'" Stacie used her finger's to make air quotes, "or not. Her 'girlfriend' should be in there taking care of her. By her side."

"Okay. That's enough." Aubrey interrupted Stacie's rant. "We don't know where Chloe is or what the reason she left is. Maybe she needed a minute to collect her thoughts. We don't know what she's thinking or what she's feeling and it's really none of our business. This is between her and Beca. And before you go being all judgy" Aubrey made a circular motion with her hand, "Chloe's not used to this Stacie. She's not used to these kinds of things happening. She's never dated anyone like Beca before so how could she possibly know what she's getting herself into? So give the girl a second to adjust to the situation." Aubrey said. She maintained eye contact with Stacie for a few seconds before turning quickly and walking away to check on her other patients and to continue trying to contact Chloe.

"No" Beca protested.

Stacie sat down in the chair next to the hospital bed Beca was laying on just as the doctor began speaking.

"Lieutenant Mitchell, the burn on your shoulder needs a skin graft. We need to take you to surgery and debris the wound and apply the graft." He explained.

"Just put the ointment on it and send me home." Beca argued.

"If it were only the burns on your arm that would be possible but the one on your back is serious and it needs a graft to heal quickly and reduce the chance of infection."

"How long?" Beca asked.

"I'm sorry" The doctor said not understanding the question.

"How long will I need to be here? In the hospital?" She clarified.

"Anywhere from three to five days." He explained. "But I assure you, it's necessary."

Beca looked to Stacie who nodded slowly encouraging Beca to do what the doctor recommended.

"Fine" Beca relented.

"I'll have a nurse in here to prepare you for surgery." The doctor said quickly. "Any preference on where we take the skin from?"

"Where do you usually get it from?" Beca asked sarcastically.

"Either the inner thigh or the buttocks." He answered.

"You want to put my ass on my shoulder?" Beca asked loudly.

"Just the skin. Yes." He smiled.

"Fucking doctors" Beca mumbled under her breath. "I don't care." She said loud enough for him to hear.

She watched as he left the room and then turned back to Stacie. "Did Aubrey get a hold of Chloe?" Beca asked quickly. She was worried about the teacher. Since finding out she was there and had seen it with her own eyes and had heard everything on the radio she knew Chloe was freaking out. Knew she was panicking and probably questioning their developing relationship. Beca didn't blame her, she just wanted to make sure she was okay.

"Not yet. She called a couple of times but Chloe didn't answer." Stacie answered. "I know I said you deserved to be happy" Stacie breathed, "and you do but I don't know if Chloe is the right person." Stacie said slowly and then held her breath.

Even though Beca was still lying on her stomach she pushed herself up with her right arm so that she could look into Stacie's eyes. She squinted through the pain but was determined to say, "You're right. You don't know. So stay out of it Stacie." Beca warned. "If this changes her mind then it does, it doesn't mean she isn't the right person for me. It just means that I'm not the right person for her." Beca lowered herself back down to her hospital bed slowly. The words she said repeated in her mind over and over again. It was the truth. She felt sadness begin to wash over her.

"Hey" Jesse's voice said cutting through the thick air in the hospital room.

"Hey" Beca whispered.

"I'm going to go" Stacie said sadly standing from the chair "I don't know, but I'll be back."

"What was that all about?" Jesse asked after Stacie was out of the room.

"Doesn't matter" Beca said quickly. "I need you to find Chloe for me."

"Okay. Where is she? Her house? You're apartment?" Jesse asked.

"She was at the fire." Beca replied.

"What?" Jesse asked as he took the seat Stacie vacated.

"She heard about it on the news or something and showed up there. She was with Stacie for a while and heard what was happening over the radio. I'm sure she's scared I'll be pissed at her for being there and she's freaking out about what happened but I just need to know if she's okay. Can you find her?" Beca asked.

"Yeah" Jesse said. "I'll find her."

"Hello" Chloe said huskily into the phone.

"Where the hell are you Chloe?" Aubrey whispered into the phone. She cupped her free hand around her mouth so Chloe could hear her better as she crouched down behind one of the nurse's stations.

"I'm at the hospital." Chloe answered plainly.

"Good. Where? I'll come find you." Aubrey said quickly.

"In the parking lot."

"Okay. Come into the Emergency Room. They are going to take Beca into surgery soon and she's been asking for you." Aubrey explained.

"Surgery?" Chloe asked slowly. She was so tired.

"Yeah, one of the burns she sustained on her back is pretty bad. It needs a skin graft." Aubrey explained. "They are going to take her to surgery pretty soon, so hurry up."

"I can't" Chloe whispered.

"What?" Aubrey asked.

"I can't." The teacher repeated. "I can't come in there. She'll be so disappointed in me."

"What?" Aubrey asked quietly.

"I don't know if I can handle this." She didn't think it were possible but the tears broke free again.

"Chloe" Aubrey said sternly. "I can't believe I'm about to say this." Aubrey said softly. "You need to be here with Beca. Whatever is going on with the two of you can wait. She needs you right now so you have to forget about how your feeling. Now's not the time to be scared or sad. Pull it together and get your ass in here." Aubrey voice was loud be the times she finished speaking. She wasn't hiding her conversation anymore. "For serious Chloe." She demanded.

 **XxXxXx**

 _Beep … Beep … Beep … Beep._ She never thought her eyes could be this heavy. _Beep … Beep … Beep._ But they were so heavy she couldn't open them. The rhythmic sound of the machine was annoying and all she wanted to do was open her eyes so she could find a way to shut it off. Beca took a deep breath and lifted with all her might but only managed to crack them open. She pinched them shut tightly as the bright light blinded her immediately. Then she heard her name.

"Beca?"

Beca forced her eyes open quickly as the adrenaline from hearing her voice filled her body. Chloe's voice sounded so rough. So tired. The redhead leaned forward from her position in the uncomfortable hospital recliner Jessica brought in for her a few hours ago while she waited for Beca to get out of surgery.

"Chlo" Beca managed to whisper harshly with a dry throat.

"Don't talk okay. Just rest." Chloe whispered as she placed a soft kiss on Beca's forehead.

It was all the permission Beca needed. She closed her eyes. The rhythmic sound of the machine lulling her back to sleep.

Chloe watched Beca close her eyes. She watched her features relax and even out. Watched her heart rate on the monitor slow down. Chloe leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. She'd never been in this situation before. She'd never been in a hospital room. Never sat with someone she cared about while they recovered from surgery. Never felt this helpless. Never felt this alone. Never this scared. Never this unsure of her feelings. Never felt so trapped. Chloe closed her eyes and waited for the next time Beca would wake up.

"Chloe" Aubrey whispered as she gently nudged the redhead's shoulder.

Chloe's eyes fluttered open. "It's impossible to sleep in a hospital." Chloe whined. "If it's not a nurse coming in to check on Beca, it's an intern or it's Jessica checking on me and now you."

"Sorry. I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving." Aubrey whispered.

Chloe sat up in her chair and looked up at the clock. 2 am. "Yeah, okay."

"Do you want to follow me in Beca's car or are you going to stay?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe wiped her eyes. "I gave Jesse Beca's keys. He took her Jeep a few hours ago."

"Oh, okay well do you want to stay or do you want me to drive you home?" Aubrey asked again.

Chloe looked back to Beca who hadn't woken up since the first time after surgery 5 hours ago. "I don't know. I don't think I should leave without telling her." Chloe said quietly.

Aubrey shook her head at her friend. "You didn't even want to come in and now you don't want to leave?" Aubrey asked sarcastically. The comment didn't go over well with Chloe but the art teacher chose not to respond.

"She knows I'm here Bree. I don't want her to wake up and wonder where I am." Chloe said simply. "She shouldn't have to worry about me." Chloe's voice was laced with sadness.

"I'm sorry Chlo" Aubrey apologized sincerely. She could see the exhaustion on Chloe's face. The stress. She looked older than she had yesterday. She looked worn down.

"It's okay."

Chloe's head snapped quickly to the hospital bed where Beca lay on her right side facing them.

"It's okay." Beca repeated. "You can go home. Get some sleep."

"Beca?" Chloe questioned. She saw the girls mouth move when she spoke the second time but she had yet to open her eyes.

"I can stay. I'll call out of work tomorrow." Chloe offered half-heartedly.

"No. Go to work. Don't" Beca paused as she fought the drowsiness, "don't call out. You love your job. It makes you happy. You should go. Do what you love." Beca rambled quietly.

"You sure?" Chloe asked leaning forward.

"Yeah. Sure." Beca whispered.

"I'll come back tomorrow after school okay?" She asked as she stood from the chair. She waited but Beca didn't answer. Chloe looked back at Aubrey who had an eyebrow raised.

"Come on. I'll drive." Aubrey said as she led Chloe out of the hospital room.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe stumbled through her day. She was tired and she couldn't think straight. She felt guilty for leaving Bea alone in the hospital but she also wasn't looking forward to going back tonight. Beca would undoubtedly be more conscious than she was yesterday following surgery and she would more than likely want to talk to Chloe about why she was at the fire. She knew from Aubrey that Stacie told her and she was dreading Beca's reaction. Chloe did her best to not speak to her colleagues and once again she completely avoided the front of the building where Beca's mother's office was. She stayed in her classroom during lunch and took a nap on her desk. She was lucky she didn't have car pick up that day so she was able to leave as the final bell sounded.

She was happy to see Beca sitting up when she walked into her hospital room. But the happiness faded when she got a look at Beca's face. It was pained. She was trying her best to hide it as the doctor and a few nurses, including Jessica, looked at the skin graft. The doctor slowly applied a thick ointment over the graft as well as the burns to Beca's left arm.

Chloe ducked down to catch Beca's eye. "Hi" She whispered.

"Hey" Beca said through gritted teeth. "How was school?" The firefighter forced out.

Chloe looked down to see Beca's hands squeezing the side of the table so hard her knuckles were bright white. "It was okay. Nothing exciting." Chloe replied. She looked up to the doctor who nodded at her.

"All done Lieutenant" He said as he sat the supplies down on a nearby table. The nursing staff went to work quickly cleaning up as Jessica help Beca lay back down in the hospital bed. She pushed the small wedge up against Beca's spine forcing her to lay on her right side and blocking her from rolling onto her back. She smiled at Beca and placed a small button in her right hand.

Chloe watched as Beca thanked Jessica with her eyes before turning back towards Chloe.

"How are you?" Chloe asked.

"Just awesome." Beca replied sarcasm lacing her voice.

"Beca" Chloe sighed.

"What are you doing here?" Beca asked quickly cutting off the redhead.

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked quickly. "I told you last night that I'd come by after school."

Beca looked up at her with her dark blue eyes. "You don't want to be here."

Chloe could see the pain in those eyes but she wasn't sure if it was because of the burns or if it was because of the words that were coming out of her mouth.

"Hey short stack." Amy's loud voice boomed through the small room breaking up their intense stare down. "How you feeling?" She asked.

"I'm good." Beca said faking a smile.

Amy's partner followed her into the room. "Detective Warren." Beca greeted.

"We just came from the firehouse and Chief Smith asked us to stop by and update you as well." He informed them looking from Beca to Chloe and back.

"Right, Detective Warren this is my" Beca paused, "this is Chloe." Beca said looking at the redhead's who's eyes immediately fell to the floor but then quickly back up to shake the man's hand. "It's fine to speak in front of her."

He nodded. "We have news."

"Great. Let's hear it." Beca said quickly.

"As you know, the hotel fire didn't go as the arsonist planned." He started but Amy cut in.

"Yeah, thanks to you" She said as she patted Beca's foot lightly.

"We were able to track the payment and rental of the entire 8th floor, the one that was rented by the high school group from Kansas that never checked in." He began.

Beca nodded.

"It was purchased with a stolen credit card. We're still working to see if we can track that down further but the card belongs to an LA resident. We've also interviewed all of the hostages that were taken from various floors and locked on the 8th floor. They were able to describe their attacker to us so we have a general description. Male. 5'11 to 6 foot tall. Brown eyes. Most likely right handed. Unfortunately he wore a mask so we don't have a description of his face and he wore long sleeves so we still don't know if he has any visible tattoos or markings but one of the little girls did tell up that he has brown hair. Apparently the hood fell from his head and she got a look at his hair. Many of the hostages say he told them they were going to die and some mentioned that it was to get some sort revenge for his family. We are currently looking through a history of fire's 72 has responded to in hopes of finding some sort of link. Maybe a family that died in a fire or any type of connection. He didn't expect you to get them out of there which leads us to believe that he will strike again and he will strike quickly. We are working through our DMV database and trying to narrow down a list of possible suspects with the physical description we have and are beginning to interview those people now." Detective Warren finished.

"And in the mean time?" Beca asked.

"Chief Smith has pulled your teams off duty since we know he is targeting your shift. This will at least buy us some time to narrow down possible suspects and try to trace this to someone." Amy jumped in.

"And you think that will work?" Beca asked.

"We don't expect him to break his protocol now. For whatever reason he's targeting you guys and we are going to try to use that to our advantage. Chief Smith gave us 4 days till your shift reports back." Amy replied.

"4 days" Chloe repeated looking over to Beca quickly. "You can't possibly go back to work in four days Beca."

Beca moved her eyes from Chloe's concerned baby blues back to the cops. "Anything else?" She asked.

"Not currently but we will keep you updated." Detective Warren answered.

"Thanks" Beca replied.

"I'll see you soon B." Amy squeezed Beca's ankle again and waived at Chloe before following her partner out of the hospital room.

Once they were alone again, the tension immediately filled the room. "Are you hungry? I can run out and get us something. I'm sure the food here is terrible." Chloe asked quickly.

"Chloe" Beca said looking directly at her. "Sit down. We should talk."

Chloe nodded and sat down on the edge of the chair across from Beca's bed. She folded her hands in her lap.

"I heard Aubrey last night." Beca revealed. "When she said that you didn't want to come here."

"I'm sorry I" Chloe began but Beca interrupted her.

"Don't apologize. Please." Beca insisted.

"What do you want me to say?" Chloe asked quietly.

"I want you to tell me the truth." Beca replied.

"About what?" Chloe asked.

"About what you're feeling."

Chloe took a deep breath and shook her head softly. "I don't know. Yesterday" She breathed out through her mouth, "yesterday was" She stopped feeling herself tear up again she looked up at the ceiling to fight the tears from forming.

"This is exactly the thing I wanted to avoid Chlo." Beca whispered. "But you said you could handle it."

Chloe's eyes fell back down to Beca's. "I just need some time. One minute I'm sitting outside the firehouse waiting to pick you up and the next minute you're jumping out of a building and hanging onto a ladder while a building literally blows up behind you. You could have died yesterday. I could have watched you die. And I've never been in this position before so I just need some time" Chloe's voice grew from shy to angry during her rant. "I don't know how I'm supposed to just be okay with all of this. Okay with seeing you in that hospital bed. Okay with knowing that you could never come home from work."

"Okay" Beca said forcefully. She couldn't watch Chloe cry anymore. She couldn't watch her breakdown anymore. "Okay" She repeated softer seeing the shock on Chloe's face. "Take some time. I'll be here for a few more days. So take some time and we can talk after I get out." Beca said quietly trying to hide her sadness from the teacher.

"So just go home and don't come back? Don't check on you? Don't make sure you're okay?" Chloe spat quickly.

"You just said you needed time Chloe. I'm offering it to you. No questions asked, no hard feelings." Beca said forcefully. "I'm trying to give you what you want."

Chloe stood up from her chair. "What I want?" She asked repeated Beca's words back to her.

"Yeah" Beca whispered.

"What I want." Chloe emphasized the I.

"Yes" Beca answered.

"I think me leaving is what you want." Chloe countered. "You never wanted this. You always said it was for my own good. Always said it was to protect me. I'm new to this you know. I've never dated someone like you before so excuse me if I'm not sure what the proper procedure is for when your girlfriend, or whatever we are" Chloe's voice was loud, "goes to the hospital. Sorry if I didn't immediately rush to the hospital to be by your side. Sorry if I'm trying to figure out how I'm feeling and how I fit into all this." Chloe's hands were flying through the air widely. "You know what, forget it Beca. You never wanted this in the first place. You said it yourself. You push everyone away because it's easier. Maybe you were right. This was a bad idea."

Beca pushed down on the button in her right hand as she watched Chloe storm out of the hospital room. She immediately felt the relief as the morphine flowed through her IV.

* * *

 **AN: Thanks so much to everyone who left me a review after the last chapter. I've decided to leave that chapter up as written. You're comments mean so much to me as I'm figuring my way through this story. Thanks again. And I guess I'm ready to hear your thoughts on all that that just happened...**


	16. Chapter 16

She violently pushed the hospital exit door open as she stormed out of the building. She slammed her car shut after she climbed inside. As the stale yellow light flashed giving a 5 second warning, she pressed the pedal forcefully to the floorboard speeding through the intersection and violating the traffic laws by running the red light. She screeched to a halt in front of her and Aubrey's shared house. She stomped up the walkway and pushed the door open quickly before throwing it shut behind her.

Aubrey stood wide-eyed in the kitchen as Chloe shot passed her. She flinched at the sound of Chloe's bedroom door slamming shut.

Chloe threw her purse on her bed and slumped against her bedroom door. Her back hitting it hard. Her arms rested on her knees as she finally hit the ground. "What the fuck" Chloe said to herself. She stormed out of the hospital room and instead of trying to calm down she let her anger build. It felt good in a way. A different emotion. Something other than tears. Something other than fear. But now as she sat alone in the quiet of her room looking across at the dark painting she was almost finished with the anger subsided and she was trying to figure out what exactly happened. She didn't want to argue with Beca. She needed to talk to the firefighter. As she drove from school to the hospital she had planned out her apology. An apology for being at the hotel. An apology for not being by her side immediately. An apology for not knowing the proper way to react or exactly what to do. An apology for being a crappy girlfriend. She eventually got all that out but not in the way she prepared. Chloe shook her head as their interaction replayed in her head. She threw Beca's concern for her, Beca's feelings for her and her apparent instinct to protect Chloe from everything back in her face. That was definitely not her intention when she walked into that hospital room. She had intended on talking to the brunette. Had intended on asking Beca for some time, which she did, and some direction to get through this. But that didn't happen. She stormed out childishly. Chloe wiped another tear from her cheek and pushed herself to her feet. She crossed the room and retrieved her bag and keys from the floor where they landed after bouncing off her bed. She placed the strap over her shoulder and opened her door intending to head back to the hospital.

"Don't" Aubrey warned seeing a very different Chloe make her way towards the door.

Chloe paused and looked back at Aubrey with a confused look.

"Don't go back there right now Chlo. You are way too emotional. You need to collect your thoughts before you speak to her again." Aubrey suggested. She half expected Chloe to ignore her and continue out the door but when the redhead stopped she continued, "tell me what happened."

Chloe thought quickly. Maybe Aubrey was right. She sighed and turned back towards her best friend who began walking into the living room. Aubrey patted the space next to her on the couch. Chloe sat her bag and keys down on the coffee table and sat next to her friend, tucking her right leg under her butt. She nervously squeezed her left hand with her left and fidgeted with her fingers.

"I went to talk to her but we ended up fighting. Well not we" Chloe clarified. "I said I needed some time to take all of this in because I mean, this is crazy right?" Chloe asked Aubrey looking for justification.

Aubrey nodded slightly as she continued listening.

"Anyway, I was trying to apologize for not being there immediately and she told me not to apologize. She asked me how I was feeling and told me to take some time and that we would talk when she got out of the hospital." Chloe's voice cracked. "And I don't know why but I just kind of lost it. I felt like she was pushing me away again and I threw her hesitation for getting into" Chloe shook her head, "whatever this is in her face and stormed out."

"Okay" Aubrey said calmly. "So you went to talk?" Aubrey clarified.

Chloe nodded as she looked down to her hands.

"And you asked for some time to process?" Aubrey asked again finding the work Chloe had been searching for since yesterday. She knew she needed time to think about things and to calm her crazy emotions but she couldn't seem to come up with the right word to ask for what she needed.

Chloe nodded again.

"And she offered it to you?"

Chloe looked up at her friends green eyes and softly confirmed, "yes".

"Okay" Aubrey leaned back on the couch, "so I'm having trouble figuring out what made you so mad."

Chloe shrugged. "I don't know." She admitted. "That's why I was going back over there. To apologize. Again."

"Try again Chlo." Aubrey instructed. "You're not the crazy girlfriend type. You're usually the composed one so what made you lose it?"

"I was terrified yesterday Bree." Chloe admitted, her bright blue eyes glistening. "For so many different reasons."

"Because Beca was in danger?" Aubrey asked.

"Yes and because of the way it made me feel." Chloe answered. "From the moment I met her, I felt something between us. I don't know how to explain it." Chloe paused. "Like a spark or something. I don't know. It's stupid."

"No it's not stupid." Aubrey reassured her with a gentle hand to Chloe's arm that rested on the back of the couch.

"It scares the hell out of me how I feel about her." Chloe admitted. "After knowing her for like two months and we've spent less than a week together as something more than friends. And it scares me to death that I feel this way. That it can go from pure happiness to horror with one stupid news alert. That I can feel so many different things in such a short period of time. I can lay in bed next to her and see a future." Chloe admitted softly. "I can see waking up to her next to me. I can see family vacations and little league games and all that stupid love stuff that I know" Chloe wiped her face again, "it's way too early to be thinking about and then I can see that damn flag hanging from the ladder. I can see someone handing me her helmet and I can see myself walking behind that firetruck. I can see her laying in that coffin. And it scares the hell out of me. And it pisses me off that she can just tell me to leave." Chloe sobbed. "How can she not feel any of this too? How can she just dismiss me like I'm nothing to her? When I feel all of this? How can she feel nothing?"

 **XxXxXx**

"Finally" Jesse groaned as he sat himself up from the lumpy recliner at the side of Beca's bed.

Beca let her eyes close as slowly as she opened them.

"You've been asleep since I got here last night." Jesse said as he stood reaching his hands up towards the ceiling stretching out his body.

Beca didn't answer, she squeezed her right hand around the plastic letting her thumb press firmly on the button. Her body relaxed again. The thoughts of Chloe's face. Chloe's eyes. Chloe's smile faded like a memory as she drifted back into a peaceful drug induced sleep.

Jesse looked down at his best friend. Her right hand relaxed and opened enough for him to see what she was holding. He pulled the small device out of her hand and followed the cord back to the machines. "Oh Beca" he whispered as he realized what she was holding and why she had been knocked out for more than 24 hours straight. He sat the morphine pump down on the table out of Beca's reach and returned to the recliner next to her bed waiting for the next time she would wake up.

 **XxXxXx**

She wore tennis shoes to work. Thank goodness because of the amount of time she was on her feet during the day, being in something other than her super comfy Nike Zooms, of which she had several pairs in boxes under her bed for when her current pair wore out, would be a complete nightmare. But if she were wearing her favorite pair of high heels people would have been able to hear the seriousness in her stride as she approached Beca's hospital room. Aubrey had every intention of giving the firefighter a piece of her mind for several reasons. One being her redheaded best friend and roommate who left the house for work still in the deep depression she'd been in for the last three days. She knew two things. She knew from Jesse that he had retrieved Beca's stuff from the firehouse. Her stuff included her phone. She also knew that Chloe had text Beca every day asking to come by. Asking for a chance to talk and clear things up. The third thing she knew was that Beca hadn't responded to Chloe but she didn't know why. She was about to find out as she knocked twice, in accordance with hospital protocol for when any member of staff entered a patients room, but she broke protocol when she opened the door without waiting for a response.

Jesse was startled from his chair with the swift action.

"Where is she?" Aubrey asked not seeing Beca in the bed and the bathroom door open with the light off.

"She's with the physical therapist." Jesse answered. "She's trying to get out of here today but there were some things she had to show she could do before they would send her home."

"What's her problem?" Aubrey thundered at Jesse.

"Um?" He replied unsure.

Aubrey crossed the room and retrieved a phone she assumed was Beca's. It was lying face down on the table that was next to the hospital bed. She picked up the device and turned it over. She saw several alerts for missed calls. Chloe's name caught her eye. "Why hasn't she spoken to Chloe?" Aubrey said demanding an answer.

"She's giving her time." Jesse answered.

"Chloe's been trying to get in touch with Beca for two days." Aubrey said loudly as she held the screen up in front of him.

"I know. I've been here the entire time." Jesse replied. "And I'm doing fine. Thanks for asking."

Aubrey ignored his last comment. "What's her problem?" Aubrey demanded.

"Calm down Aubrey. I don't want you blowing chunks all over my hospital room." Beca said as she walked in with the inpatient physical therapist right behind her.

That's exactly the comment she needed to fuel her fire. She turned towards Beca ready to unleash all of her frustrations on her. "You are" she squinted her eyes at the snarky firefighter. "You are absolutely the most infuriating person I've ever met. I have no idea why Chloe loves you" Aubrey was practically screaming at Beca, "as much as she does. You don't deserve to have someone who feels as much as Chloe does in your life. You're absolutely ignorant to the fact that she is the best thing that could have happen to you and you ignore her like she's some dumb slut you picked up at 10-70." Aubrey ranted. She felt a large warm hand on her shoulder. "She is miserable and has been since you kicked her out of this room and you're cracking jokes like nothing is wrong. You don't deserve her." She finished and turned back to Jesse who was urging her to calm down.

He squeezed her shoulder gently but his eyes were on his best friend. Who stopped suddenly in her tracks as Aubrey spoke. The one word catching her completely off guard.

Beca's eyes moved to Aubrey's who was oblivious to what she said. "What?" She demanded from the silent brunette.

Beca cleared her throat and swallowed. "She said she needed time and that's what I'm giving her." Beca regurgitated the words she'd been repeating in her head for the last two days since the morphine pump was taken out of her possession forcing her to be awake and deal with everything that was happening.

"Try again Mitchell. She's been trying to contact you. You've been avoiding her." Aubrey said tossing the phone at Beca who caught it.

"It's none of your business" Beca shot back quickly.

"When it affects Chloe. It is my business." Aubrey countered stepping closure to Beca.

"Okay, whoa ladies" Jesse said breaking his silence. He stepped in between them.

"She's miserable." Aubrey repeated. "I have no idea why someone like her would want to be with someone like you but she does." Aubrey's voice was quieter but still laced with anger. "And you're ruining it. You're a complete idiot if you let her get away."

"Thanks for coming by Aubrey." Beca said stepping around Jesse and Aubrey and walking towards the small closet in the hospital room. She began pulling out the bag Jesse brought over for her.

"What are you doing?" Aubrey asked.

"Their discharging me." Beca answered without turning around. "So you won't have to worry about seeing me around here anymore." She quipped.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "I changed my mind. You are a complete idiot. Even if you wise up and beg Chloe for forgiveness for acting like a grade a pain in the ass, you will still be a complete idiot for acting like this in the first place. News flash, this isn't the Beca show" Aubrey said quickly, "not everything is about you." She finished as she quickly walked out of the hospital room. She reached out and pumped the hand sanitizer on the wall twice, catching the foaming chemical mixture in her hand. She rubbed it in quickly as she walked out of the room following hospital protocol for leaving a patients room.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe shrugged her bag off her shoulder and let it fall to the floor of her bedroom. It had been the worst week. She only had one more day to go and she was grateful for that. All she wanted to do all day since she forced herself out of bed, relieved that it was spirit day at school so she didn't have to put a professional looking outfit together, was get back in her bed and pull the covers up over her head and wait. Wait for Beca to text her back. Wait for Beca to call her back. Just wait.

Aubrey sighed loudly as she pulled up to the house. After yesterdays run in with Beca she stayed away from the brunette's room all day. She'd heard from other nurses that the firefighter was finally released just after 4 pm. She'd also heard from other nurses that the firefighter was pissed that she had to stay and wait for the paperwork to be processed. Some things happened quickly in hospitals but paperwork was not one of them. But now, as she returned home after her shift, there was Beca standing outside her house, halfway up the walkway, staring straight ahead with her hands in her pockets. Aubrey pulled her car up the driveway next to Chloe's and got out.

Beca jumped slightly when Aubrey closed her car door. She watched the tall blonde nurse in dark red scrubs walk past her and up to the door. She watched Aubrey slide the key in the lock and turn it. She watched her turn the door knob and begin to open it. "You coming?" She asked emotionless.

Beca felt her feet begin to move forward. At least she didn't have to knock and wait to see if Chloe would let her in.

Aubrey led Beca through the house towards Chloe's room. The blonde leaned in through the opening of Chloe's bedroom door, her opposite hand motioned for Beca to stay put and not walk into Chloe's room just yet.

"You okay?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe kicked off her white puma's as she reached down and pulled her Hidden Hills Tiger's t-shirt off over her head tossing it in the direction of her bathroom where her dirty clothes hamper was. She reached down for the hoodie that lay on her bed where she left it that morning and pulled her head through it. Her hair hung down in her face as she slipped her arms through the comfortable cotton. Once she had it on, she glanced down at her waist and unbuttoned her jeans then shimming out of the tight denim, stepping out leaving them where they lie on the floor. Chloe huffed as she placed a knee up on her bed, followed by the other as she sat down with a huff, turning towards her doorway where best friend still stood waiting for an answer. Chloe reached up and gathered her hair. She worked it into a loose knot and tied it up with the hair tie that was around her wrist. She dropped her hands to her lap heavily and pulled the ends of the sweatshirt over her fingers.

Chloe nodded without looking up at Aubrey. She just looked down at her lap, her legs crossed underneath her.

"You have a visitor" Aubrey said gently.

Chloe looked up slowly as Beca appeared in her doorway.

"I'll be down the hall if you need anything." Aubrey said softly to Chloe as she gave Beca a look of warning before leaving the space.

"Can I come in?" Beca asked softly.

Just seeing Beca standing there in front of her was overwhelming. She had assumed that she would hear from Beca over the phone or through a text. Not in person. Chloe was crying before Beca could even step in the room. She wiped her tears with the navy fabric that covered her hands just as she'd done for the last three days.

Beca approached cautiously. "Please don't cry." She begged.

Chloe hiccupped and laughed. Mostly at herself. "I can't believe I haven't shriveled up by now."

"Chloe" Beca whispered as she stopped in front of Chloe's bed.

Chloe dropped her hand back down to her lap loudly and looked up at Beca with the bluest eyes Beca ever remembered seeing. On a regular day, Chloe's eyes were beautiful crystal blue but after she'd been crying, it's as if the tears cleansed them and they shone brighter than before. It was beautifully captivating and heartbreaking all at the same time.

"I" Beca started but the one word, one letter, one syllable was all she could get out with Chloe looking up at her like she was.

Chloe uncrossed her legs and scooted forward on her bed. She let her legs hang over the side of her bed on the outside of Beca's. She reached her arms out slowly for the firefighter who watched Chloe lean forward and reach carefully around her midsection. She let Chloe pull her forward till the side of Chloe's head was pressed against her stomach and the arms around her tightened. Beca's right hand slowly stroked Chloe's hair as her left fell around the girls shoulders and up and down her back softly. She let Chloe hold her tightly. She felt the redhead's body convulsing through the tears she continued to cry.

The tears she found herself letting go were of pure relief. Relief that Beca was finally within her grasp. Looking like the Beca of a week ago. The one she hugged before she dropped off for her shift. The one she kissed tenderly outside of the firehouse. The one she was falling in love with. Not the crazy one who jumped out of exploding buildings. Not the one who ran into those buildings without knowing if she would make it out alive. She held her Beca tight because she didn't know if this would be the last time she saw this Beca. She had only realized that while the two people she had so perfectly separated in her mind were actually one in the same. She didn't want to admit that to herself a week ago but in the last several days she was confronted with it head on. She'd come to realize that she can't separate these two people anymore when they were the same person. Beca had never pretended to be something she wasn't. In fact she'd made it perfectly clear to Chloe exactly who she was. This wasn't Beca's fault. It was hers and she was willing to take the full responsibility for them being in this situation because she had walked into this friendship, this relationship believing she could handle it. She was wrong about herself.

Beca let Chloe hold her. She let Chloe squeeze her tightly. This was the first time she had been in the art teacher's room. Her eyes slowly wandered around. She noticed the framed pictures of her and who she assumed were her parents. The woman with bright red hair and blue eye closely resembled Chloe only about 20 years older was obviously her mother. Beca wondered if that's what Chloe would possibly look like when she was older. While Chloe's got her red hair from her mother, it was a darker shade, which she no doubt inherited from the man with brown hair and her nose in the photo next to her. Then her eyes moved to a picture of her and Aubrey dressed in green robes throwing flat hats into the air. There was a white dresser with some things on top and Beca smiled noticing the purple elephant Chloe won in the paintball game sitting proudly atop the furniture. Next to a white dresser was a painting. Beca had seen it immediately when she entered the room. It was amazing. Now that she didn't have anything else to look at she couldn't pull her eyes from the art work. What the hell was Chloe doing as an art teacher when she was capable of creating something like that? She looked down when she felt Chloe pushed back from her slightly separating them.

"Are you okay?" Chloe croaked looking up at Beca.

Beca nodded. She couldn't take Chloe looking up at her with her big blue eyes anymore. She needed to change the dynamic so she pulled Chloe's hands apart that were still linked behind her back. She dropped down to a crouch in front of Chloe, her hands resting on Chloe's bare thighs. Bad choice, Beca thought as she realized Chloe was in front of her on the bed in her Squad 61 sweatshirt and only her panties. "Are you okay?" She managed to ask as her eyes finally raked up Chloe's body and to her eyes that were still blue but weren't open as wide and as a result not as big and sad.

"I'm so sorry" Chloe apologized softly. "I should have been there with you."

Beca smiled to one side, "No Chloe. You needed time and that's perfectly fine. You should take all the time you need."

"I shouldn't have thrown your feelings back in your face. You were just trying to protect me." Chloe apologized again looking down at Beca. "I don't know what I'm doing." Chloe admitted. "I don't know what we're doing."

"Me neither" Beca agreed.

Chloe laughed once forcefully at Beca's admission. She pushed herself back and turned slightly to the side and invited Beca to join her on the bed with a pat to the mattress.

Beca stood slowly and sat in the space next to Chloe. She looked down at her hands that she rested in her lap as she felt slightly damp cotton material of her sweatshirt on both sides of her face.

Chloe pulled Beca's head up slowly. She leaned forward and placed her salty lips gently on Beca's. Beca kissed her softly in a comforting way before pulling back resting her forehead against Chloe's. "This isn't a good idea." Beca whispered.

Chloe knew she was right. They should talk. They should both get their emotions under control and get a handle on how they felt. But she needed to feel Beca. Holding her in her arms was amazing. Feeling her lips on hers was re-energizing. "I don't want you to go." Chloe replied softly holding Beca's face in place. "I know there is so much we need to say, so much to talk about but right now, I just need, I just want to be with you." Chloe sighed. "Can we just be for a little while?"

Chloe felt Beca swallow hard and then she felt her nod against her forehead before a quiet "okay" was whispered in her direction. Chloe moved around Beca towards the top of her bed. She pulled her pillow out from under her comforter and placed it in the middle of her queen bed. She nestled down so that her face rested on the bottom right corner as she laid on her right side. Beca kicked her black vans off her feet and moved slowly over Chloe to lay on her right side behind the teacher. She slipped her right hand under the pillow and Chloe and placed her left hand on Chloe's hip and felt Chloe lace their fingers together instantly.

"I don't want to pull on your arm" Chloe said softly.

Beca knew what she wanted. She moved her body closer so that it was pressed tightly against Chloe's. She gently wrapped her left arm around Chloe successfully finding a position comfortable to her without disturbing the wrapped burns on her left arm and shoulder. Beca leaned her head forward unable to resist the sensitive skin on Chloe's neck that was exposed to her. She placed two soft kisses to the teacher's skin before nestling her head on Chloe's neck and resting her forehead on Chloe's shoulder.

She'd lost track of the time they spent laying together in complete silence. All she knew was that Beca's hold on her felt strong and comforting. Beca's breath on her back sent shivers down her spine and goosebumps all over her body. She wasn't sure when the room began to darken but now it was almost completely dark as the sun set outside her window. Chloe wasn't sure if Beca had fallen asleep but she was ready to break the silence. She felt safe in the position they were in and it felt like a good time to discuss everything. "I didn't realize how helpless I would feel." Chloe whispered huskily.

Beca's eyes opened at the sound of Chloe's voice. She wasn't asleep but she was comfortable. She was peaceful for the first time since the last time she'd been in bed with Chloe. Beca prepared to respond.

"I was waiting for you outside 72. I thought we'd go back to your apartment and have some dinner and make love" Chloe felt herself blush, "and then we'd fall asleep. I didn't expect what happened." Chloe continued. "I shouldn't have gone there but for some reason I couldn't stay away. I needed to see you, but I couldn't find you. I tried to get the officers to let me through and of course they wouldn't but that's when I saw Amy and for whatever reason she brought me over to Stacie who was listening on the radio. When I heard your voice it's like someone had a hold of my heart and was squeezing it at tightly as they could. I was so scared that my heart actually physically hurt." Chloe admitted. "I know you're mad that I went there and I'm sorry but I couldn't stay away."

"I'm not mad" Beca said quickly, her voice raspy.

"You're not?" Chloe asked.

"No." Beca replied. "Was it a good idea? Absolutely not. That can't ever happen again Chloe." Beca said sternly. "But you're the only one who knew what to do." Beca admitted. "You saved those kids. You saved me." Beca lifted her head and pressed another kiss to Chloe's neck. "Thank you" She whispered.

Chloe let go of Beca's hand and turned in her arms quickly to face her. Beca's left arm loosened its hold on Chloe as the redhead positioned herself far enough from Beca to be able to look in her eyes. Beca's hand seemed to find a comfortable spot on Chloe's right hip. Unsure of the extent of the injuries to Beca's left side Chloe's right hand grabbed Beca's jaw, holding her head in place so she could kiss her, which she did. Then her hand slid down the front of Beca's shirt stopping around her belly button as Chloe tightly gripped the material in her hand pulling it towards her slightly.

"I shouldn't have left you alone in the hospital. I should have stayed with you." Chloe said trying to see Beca's eyes in the room that was growing darker by the second. "I was going to go back but Bree talked me into giving you some time. And taking some time for myself to try and get a handle on all of this but I've missed you so much. I wanted to see you. I wanted to talk to you. I'm so sorry for how I handled everything. It was just so overwhelming but I understand better now." Chloe continued to ramble. "I know it won't be easy and there will be some really hard times but I know what you were talking about. I understand why you were reluctant to start this." Chloe tugged Beca's shirt towards her but Beca didn't move. "I know this won't be easy but I"

"We can't." Beca was relieved they were in a dark room so she couldn't see Chloe's face when she whispered those words.

* * *

 **AN: Update a day early just because I love you guys so much. Sooooo, let me hear it!**


	17. Chapter 16b

Chloe pulled away from Beca quickly. The light coming on immediately hurt Beca's eyes. She snapped them shut and slowly opened them so she could adjust.

"We can't what?" Chloe asked pushing herself up to sit.

Beca followed the action. "We can't do this. After everything thats happened, don't you see?" Beca asked. "This won't work out."

"It will" Chloe argued. "Didn't you hear me say I understand now? I can manage this better."

Beca smiled sadly. "A relationship shouldn't have to be managed Chloe."

"Of course it should Beca. Relationships take work. We can do this. I can do this. Please? I want to do this." Chloe pleaded.

Beca didn't reply.

"You came her to break up with me" Chloe said realizing what was going on. "Right?"

The sadness in Beca's eyes answered her question.

Chloe pushed herself off the bed quickly needing space between them. "So that's it? One chance? I only get one chance?" She asked crossing her arms across her chest and her legs at the ankles going from feeling comfortable in Beca's presence to exposed.

"It's not like that Chloe" Beca said quietly.

"Actually, I think that's exactly what it's like Beca." Chloe said feeling her anger coming back in full force but she took a deep breath to keep it at bay. "I know you feel this." She pointed between them.

Beca pushed herself off Chloe's bed. She bent over to grab her shoes and easily slid them on her feet. She stood up straight to look Chloe in the eyes. "I don't feel anything." She said coldly.

* * *

 **AN: :(**


	18. Chapter 17

That moment, those words Beca spoke, the sound of the front door closing replayed itself in her head all throughout the day Friday. The more she relived it, the more upset it made her. The look in Beca's eyes when she said those words was all Chloe could focus on. So much so that she found herself sketching them on a piece of paper she pulled out of a notebook during one of her senior classes. She grabbed a stick of charcoal from one of her students and went to work. Her fingers and the side of her palm was dusted black by the time she was done but she had perfected the heartless look Beca left her with last night. That look haunted her every time she closed her eyes. That's how she found herself in Tom's car pulling away from the school parking lot. His offer to go and grab a drink sounded fantastic as soon as he made it. Not because it was Tom but because it was alcohol and Chloe was all for drinking herself off her feet tonight. She had the rest of the weekend to cry and wallow but now all she wanted to do was not feel anything. Tom was blabbing on about something beside her and Chloe offered the occasional yes or nod to placate him but she wasn't paying attention.

Snapping out of her daze as they pulled into their destination, "What are we doing here?" Chloe asked as Tom's car rolled to a stop.

"Uh" Tom turned towards her, "We're getting a drink."

"Yeah but why here?" Chloe asked looking up at the old building. "This is a firefighter bar."

"Oh, you know it?" Tom asked as he moved out of the car. "That's right"

Chloe heard him as she reluctantly followed him out of the car.

"Your friend is a firefighter." He nodded. He walked around the car and joined Chloe by the passenger door. "Don't worry. My dad was a firefighter. They know me here. It'll be cool." He assured her.

He took a few steps to the door but Chloe stood frozen. Tom turned back towards her and grabbed her hand pulling her feet into motion. "C'mon" he said sang.

It was like one of those old west movies when a stranger walks into the saloon for the first time. As Tom drug her through the doors she felt everyone turn and look directly at her. Tom seemed to enjoy the attention but Chloe wanted to hit rewind on the last twenty minutes of her life and immediately decline Tom's offer, as she usually did, and return home to immerse herself in sad songs and chocolate for the rest of the weekend.

"What's she doing here?" Jesse said looking at the redhead who just walked through the door.

"Who?" Beca asked not making a move to look in the direction Jesse was staring.

"Chloe" Jesse whispered.

"Chloe?" Beca asked. She felt like sinking into the bar stool if possible. "Is she looking for me?" Beca asked hoping to be invisible. She knew she deserved to be punched square in the nose for the how she left Chloe yesterday. The words she said. It was a bold faced lie. A lie she said right to Chloe's face and then left as fast as she could so she wouldn't have to suffer the consequences.

"I don't think so." Jesse sang looking at Chloe's hand attached to the man she entered behind. "She's with some dude."

"What?" Beca asked quickly as she turned her head. That guy.

The next thing Chloe knew she was standing at the bar. Her hand still in Tom's as he ordered them two drinks. She turned her head to the left and her fingers flexed open but Tom's grip was strong. She was unable to free her hand from his but it didn't matter because Beca had already seen them and she was turning her head away from them to her left where Jesse sat. She was saying something to him. Chloe watched his dark brown eyes move from Beca's then over at them and then back again.

"Tom, please let go" Chloe requested softly.

He turned back towards her questioningly.

"I need to use the restroom." She lied.

But it worked. He released his grip on her right hand and she hurried off to the restroom. She felt Jesse's eyes move with her through the room as she wove herself through the surprisingly crowded bar and to the ladies restroom.

Beca drained her beer. She placed the bottle back down on the bar louder than she intended.

"You okay?" Jesse asked still eyeing Tom.

"Yep" Beca replied loudly.

"So you don't want to go beat the shit out of that guy?" Jesse teased.

Beca side eyed him. "I don't blame her." She whispered. "I was a total asshole last night." She admitted. "But never in a million years did I think she would have the balls to show up here."

"And why did you decide to be a total asshole?" Jesse asked. "Again?"

She turned her head back towards Jesse from trying to look inconspicuously over her right shoulder at Chloe and Tom. She saw the man but couldn't spot Chloe. "Think about it Jess" Beca said just as another beer was sat in front of her.

"From the man over there." The bartender said pointing over to Tom who held up his own drink with a smile.

Beca reached for the beer to mirror him, "what a douche" she said through a fake smile. She sat the beer down and turned back to Jesse. "Think about it, these fires are only happening on our shift."

"Yeah" Jesse said leaning in.

"Whoever is setting them knows firefighter protocol." Beca whispered.

"What?" Jesse questioned skeptically.

"Okay" Beca prepared to explain. "The daycare fire. It originated in the back of the building. In the utility room."

Jesse nodded.

"Well when the water heater blew, it compromised the back of the building right?"

"Yeah but of course it would." Jesse shook his head.

"Okay and the high rise?" Beca questioned trying to lead him down the right path.

"The gas shut off was tampered with just like at the daycare." Jesse recalled. "Um, there was accelerant at each site. But the cops couldn't find anything other than that to relate them."

"Right okay" Beca was a little disappointed he hadn't figured it out yet but she continued anyway. "And then the warehouse."

"That was just weird. It was like a fireball death trap in there with the scaffolding and the barrels. Poor Benji." He whispered. He cleared his throat and continued. "The hotel was just a set up. Fire on the 5th floor. Hostages from all over the hotel locked on the 8th floor with a chemical bomb. The hostages were all different ages and came from different backgrounds. The police couldn't find anything to link them. It was totally random."

"And what do all of those fires have in common?" Beca asked quickly.

"Nothing Becs. They aren't related. The arsonist used different MOs. Sets up different traps. Different scenes. Different locations." Jesse said shrugging his shoulders unable to make the connection Beca wanted him to make.

"The only thing they really have in common" Beca emphasized, "is us."

Chloe gripped the sides of the white sink basin as she stared at her reflection in the small mirror in front of her. She took a deep breath. "You can do this." She said quietly to the woman in the mirror. "She broke up with you and it's not illegal to have a drink with a friend in a bar." She continued and then cringed, "maybe in this bar but you didn't know he'd bring you here." Chloe teased herself. That's when Beca's face flashed before her again and she heard those words ring through her ears again. Chloe pushed herself off the sink and stood up straight, steeling her face before turning and leaving the restroom quickly. She walked confidently, weaving through the crowd, making her way back to Tom.

"Hey." He greeted. "I got you a beer."

"Thanks" She said taking the bottle and clanking to his before pressing the cold glass to her lips. After a long drink and swallow she asked, "so your dad?"

Tom looked at her questioningly.

"He was a firefighter?" Chloe asked.

"Oh, yeah." Tom answered simply.

"Here in LA?" Chloe asked again.

"No, back home." Tom replied quickly then turning away from the redheaded teacher. "Wanna play?" He asked pointing over to the dart board.

"Um? Sure I guess." Chloe agreed reluctantly. She followed him over to the wall, stopping to place her beer down on the tall bistro style table that sat close to the board. Tom went to the target and retrieved the red and blue darts before returning to Chloe.

"What color?" Tom asked holding out the 6 brightly colored darts.

"Blue" Chloe said happily bouncing in place.

Tom handed over the three blue darts to Chloe.

"Okay you go first." He said pointing the line.

"I don't know how to play." Chloe admitted.

"Really?" Tom asked quickly.

Chloe shook her head from side to side.

He squinted his eyes at her skeptically. "Are you trying to hustle me?" He teased.

"I'm serious. I've never played." Chloe smiled.

"Then care to make a friendly wager?" He suggested wiggling his eyebrows.

Jesse looked at her waiting for an explanation.

"They all happen on A Shift. Squad 61 and at House 72. Never during B shift." She started to explain. "And you're right. They are all different MOs. What do we know about arsonists?" Beca asked rhetorically. "They fall in love with fire and they are very loyal to the method they use to start the fire, right? Like a calling card or a signature." Beca took a swig of beer. "Our guy uses different methods but he sets up situations that he know will make us vulnerable. He knows how we work, how we respond. He knows firefighter procedure."

Beca could see the lightbulb go off above Jesse's head.

"The daycare. He sets up a fire that could have blown at any time. It just depended upon when the seal would blow. I seriously doubt he wanted to harm kids." Beca said continuing. "But it blows when kids are there. So the majority of them are in the back and middle of the building. That's where the highest concentration of firefighters will respond too."

"Yeah but you were the only one in the middle of the building because the explosion compromised the integrity of the building but he wouldn't know that would happen. You were the only one who could get back there." Jesse added.

Beca held up a finger to continue. "The high rise. Again it could blow at any time but there was accelerant present so that when it does blow, it heats up fast and then it's just a chain reaction. And by nature high rise structures are dangerous for firefighters."

"Yeah" Jesse agreed.

"And he knows we will check all the floors." Beca adds.

"The most experienced firefighters climb to the top." Jesse said quickly.

"Right. And then the warehouse. The flammable liquid in the barrels takes time to heat up. What's the most dangerous part of a building like that? With metal scaffolding and combustible liquid?"

"The back."

"Where did Benji get caught up?" Beca asked.

"The back." Jesse repeated. "Where he and Bumper went with the hoses."

"And the hotel. At first not a lot of fire right? Just smoke. He knows there's no way we don't go in that building. A high civilian count with no other units responding because of a technical failure at dispatch?" Beca questioned. "The whole house has to go in because of the sheer size of the building. So we split teams. Experienced rescuers with hoses? Only former fighters know that."

"Okay" Jesse said nodding as he followed along with Beca's theory. "You think we're looking for one of us? A firefighter?"

Beca nodded while taking another swig. "So he would know how we clear the building right? He would know that hotel management would give us a report on what floors are clear or what rooms should be checked, right?" Beca asked.

"Right and most experienced firefighter's reports to the top except this time you assigned them randomly. You sent me to two." Jesse replied.

"And I went to the top." Beca said with large eyes waiting for him to continue to catch on but he didn't so she kept going. "So I got everyone off 7 and sent them down with Tim and then I went to 9 and got the rest. He knew I would have to check 8 last because it was reported to be 'unoccupied'." She used air quotes. "And that's where the set up was. Setting me up to be alone."

"You think he's after you?" Jesse questioned loudly. He grimaced when he noticed people looking over at him. He turned back to Beca and whispered, "You think he's after you?"

Beca shrugged. "I was in the middle of the daycare. I'm the most experienced on Squad so I clear the top floors. Benji was killed in my quadrant. Maybe he misjudged the timing of the liquid blowing? Maybe I got in and out too fast. I should have let that warehouse burn to the ground but I sent them in anyway. And I was the only one left to clear 8." Beca surmised as she placed the bottle to her lips. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid, maybe I'm not, but until this all blows over." Beca looked over her shoulder to where Chloe was just making her way back over to Tom. "I don't want Chloe anywhere near me."

"Come on Becs. You can't be serious." Jesse said with a roll of his eyes.

"Prove me wrong." She challenged.

"Why would she come here?" Jesse asked watching Chloe out of the corner of his eye. "Is she trying to make you jealous or something?" He asked.

Beca shrugged. It was taking every ounce of will power she had to not turn around and watch Chloe.

"Is it working?" Jesse asked looking back at his best friend.

"She said their just friends" Beca mumbled.

"Yeah" he sighed, "you're jealous."

Beca tilted her head back downing her bottle. "Jack and Coke" She ordered.

"They look like more than friends." Jesse said seeing Chloe through her head back in laughter as the guy stood standing with a pleased smile on his face.

"Shut the fuck Jesse" Beca barked.

"You're serious?" Chloe said as her laughter subsided. "Those terms hardly seem fair."

Tom shrugged. "If I win, we go on a date. If you win, you kiss me tonight." He repeated. "That way I'll know if you're trying to scam me or not."

"But either way, I don't have a choice. What if I don't want to go on a date with you or kiss you?" She asked.

Tom's expression changed quickly. His smile faded and was replaced by something Chloe had never seen on his face before. A scowl.

"And what if you are really good but lose on purpose?" Chloe asked playfully trying to change the mood back to light and playful.

"Take your chances?" He asked with a smirk seeming to come out of it quickly. "You first."

Chloe stepped up to the line and took aim, the way she'd seen other people play before. A dreadful feeling washed over her. She should have just walked away and not played. She didn't like the terms and now she was nervous. Either way she was being pushed towards something she didn't want.

"Chloe?" A deep voice said from behind her.

They had been silent for the last few minutes which wasn't unusual. Beca wasn't much for small talk, especially when her goal was getting drunk. Jesse ran through the scenario in his head again. "You really think they are targeting you?" He asked her.

"I don't know Jess." Beca breathed. "But it's all I could come up with. I mean things like this don't happen here. I'm just trying to come up with something that makes all of this make some sort of sense."

"Okay but if this guy didn't want to hurt kids in the daycare fire why would he glue five kids to a bomb at the hotel?" Jesse asked.

"I don't know." Beca answered honestly. "Cause he's a fucking asshole."

"No argument there" Jesse replied taking a sip of his beer.

Jesse watched Beca drain her drink and silently request another. "Maybe you should slow down?"

Beca raised her left hand from where it rested across the bar flipping him the middle finger.

"Tyler?" Chloe asked as she turned when her name was called.

"You know this guy?" Tom asked stepping forward quickly.

"Yeah, we met a few weeks ago." Tyler answered ecstatic to see the redhead again. "You kind of disappeared on me last time." He said turning his attention back to Chloe.

"It's nice to see you again." Chloe said ignoring his comment.

"You too." Tyler smiled.

"If you'll excuse us bro, we were just about to start a game." Tom said grabbing Chloe's left arm and turning her back around quickly.

"I see you're playing for the boys in blue." Tyler said from behind Chloe as she aimed the blue dart towards the round board. "I'll keep score." He offered stepping up to the dry erase board that was hung close by. "I got next." He challenged hoping Chloe would win or Tom would let her win.

She glanced at the object in her hand and then back to the board, extending her arm sending the metal dart through the air.

"Good try." Tom teased as Chloe's dart glanced the board and then fell to the ground.

"Now what?" Chloe asked.

"Throw the other two." He instructed, his boyish smile back on his face. "But this time try to hit the board." He teased.

Chloe quickly flung the other two darts towards the corkboard each landing and sticking to the board. "Woo!" She yelled as she jumped up and down celebrating her small victory.

"31" She heard Tyler call from the side.

Chloe stepped aside allowing Tom to take his place behind the line. He aimed twice and hit on the outer rim with the first dart, then his second landed closer to the bullseye but not on it. Chloe knew that was probably good. Then the last dart hit right next to the first. "89" He counted quickly then turned to Chloe pointing at her, "470" and then to him, "412".

"I'm winning?" Chloe's eyes widened.

He laughed, "we count down from 501 babe." He informed her.

The last word made her feel uneasy but Chloe retrieved her darts and stepped up to throw again.

"I'm done dude." Beca slurred. She reached over and patted Jesse firmly on the back.

"I'll drive you." He offered.

"No. Stay. I need to walk." She said looking over at Chloe who was jumping up and down having fun and then back to Jesse, "Beach tomorrow?."

"Yep. Back to regularly scheduled programming" Jesse quipped sarcastically.

"I'll call you." Beca said just before turning and making her way through the crowd and towards the front door.

"Okay so" Tyler said trying to deduct the numbers in his head quickly. "Sexy redhead 451, dude whose name I don't know, 368."

"358 idiot" Tom replied quickly. "Definitely not Hidden Hills brightest."

"So I'm losing?" Chloe asked teasingly earning both boys eyes back on her instead of staring at each other intensely.

"No worries, there's still time to come back and get that kiss." Tom winked at her.

Chloe didn't find it attractive or sexy. She looked back towards the bar where Jesse and Beca were sitting but was felt disappointment wash over here when the brunette was nowhere to be found. Her eyes quickly scanned the crowd but couldn't spot her.

"Your throw babe." Tom's voice carried loudly.

Chloe cringed. "I'm actually gonna quit." She turned to him suddenly. "You and Tyler can play." She offered with a bright smile hoping he would go for it.

"What? No, come on" Tom begged.

"I'm gonna go talk to a friend, but I'll be back." Chloe replied. She walked over to Tyler who was just as upset that she was leaving, "You play." She held the blue darts out to him. Then turned back towards Tom. "Tyler, Tom. Tom, Tyler" She introduced them and then made a quick getaway towards the bar.

Beca stepped outside 10-70 and the fresh California air hit her. It hit her hard and her head was spinning. She tried to take a deep breath to center herself but it didn't help. Beca shuffled two steps to her right and leaned against the brick wall hoping that the spinning in her head would subside enough for her to walk home.

"Jesse, hey" Chloe greeted as she sat in the stool that Beca vacated. "Can we talk?" She asked.

"Won't your boyfriends get the wrong idea?" Jesse asked rudely.

"Come on Jesse. You know its not like that." Chloe replied quickly. "I'm sure she told you what happened?"

"Yeah she did." Jesse acknowledged. "Still doesn't explain why you show up the very next day holding hands with some dude."

Chloe looked back towards Tom and Tyler. Tyler was throwing darts but Tom was staring intently at Chloe.

"And of all places you bring him here? I mean come on Chloe. She hurt you so you want to hurt her I get it but 10-70 isn't turf you guys can fight over." Jesse took a long swig of his new beer.

"I didn't bring Tom here. He brought me." Chloe said softly. "And I didn't come here with him as anything other than a friend. I actually didn't want to come in but he drug me in, that's why I was holding his hand." Chloe knew it sounded like a flimsy excuse but it was the truth. "I didn't know Beca was here. Her Jeep wasn't out front."

"I brought her." Jesse replied.

"Is she still here?" Chloe asked hopeful as she immediately looked around at the crowd.

"No, she wanted to walk home. She usually does that when she's upset about something." He revealed looking over at Chloe to see that the words mad her sad. "Look, she's dealing with a lot. Okay."

"Okay" Chloe whispered.

"She told me what happened yesterday and I'm sorry that she hurt you. I know she really cares for you. She's just trying to protect you." Jesse said knowing as soon as the words left his mouth that he revealed too much. He saw Chloe's expression turn. Her face lit up. "Chloe" he warned.

"What?"

"She broke up with you for a reason. Just respect that." He said trying to back pedal.

"She's trying to protect me? So she" Chloe stopped talking suddenly.

Jesse looked at the art teacher waiting for her to continue but she didn't. He glanced over her shoulder at the guy she came in with. "That 'friend'" he emphasized, "you came in with. Is super pissed your over here talking to me." Jesse said. "What's the deal with that?" He asked.

Chloe didn't look back at him but answered, "Don't know. He's a teacher at my school. We're more co-workers than friends." She answered quickly.

Beca stumbled back through the doors at 10-70, needing to get back to the bathroom quickly. She moved clumsily through the crowd towards the hallway that lead to the ladies room. She bumped into the wall with her left shoulder almost crumpling to the floor in pain. Her right hand covered her mouth and she continued quickly towards the last door on the right.

"Does he know that?" Jesse asked sitting up straighter feeling more threatened by Tom's body language.

"Know what?" Chloe asked as she watched Beca disappear through the crowd. Her eyes found her again as she entered the hallway towards the restrooms.

"That you're only friends? Or co-workers?" Jesse asked. "Cause he looks like he wants to kick the shit out of me."

"He's harmless." Chloe brushed off Jesse's concern. "I'll be back." She said quickly.

"Oookay" Jesse said softly as Chloe hurried away.

Chloe reached for the door handle and was surprised that it turned without meeting resistance. She pushed the door open to the single restroom, her eyes finding Beca bent over the toilet. "Oh Beca" She whispered sadly. Chloe let herself in the restroom and turned to lock the door behind them.

Beca felt her stomach tighten as she emptied its contents again into the toilet. She felt a cool hand on the back of her neck and jolted but was soothed by the voice.

"It's okay baby" Chloe whispered as she rubbed Beca's back gently.

Beca spit into the toilet but didn't trust herself to stand up yet. She coughed violently but nothing else came up.

Chloe leaned over Beca and placed her lips softly to the back of Beca's neck. "Sshh. It's okay baby." She repeated.

Beca's left hand came up to wipe her mouth as she reached for the handle of the toilet with her right. She pressed it down and watched as the water swirled around taking the vomit with it. She slowly stood up and made her way to the sink, ignoring Chloe's presence.

"Are you okay?" Chloe asked as Beca leaned over the sink filling her right hand with water and bringing it to her mouth.

Beca swished the water around before spitting it out in the sink. She stood up and looked at Chloe in the mirror. "I'm fine." She whispered.

"Can we talk?" Chloe asked as Beca filled her hand with water again, repeated the process.

"Hey man" Theo said as he leaned up against the bar next to Jesse. "Lieutenant here?" He asked.

"Was. You just missed her." Jesse answered. "Buy you a beer?"

"Yeah, thanks" Theo replied as Jesse signaled the bartender.

"What do you make of these fires?" Jesse asked. Theo joined the department a year after him, making him one of the more experienced squad members behind him and Beca.

"What do you mean?" Theo asked as she sat down.

"I'm sure you've thought about it." Jesse replied.

"I think we've all thought about it J" Theo said as she pulled a small dish of peanuts in front of him picking up one and tossing it into his mouth just as a bottle was placed in front of him.

"So? Theories?" Jesse asked.

"Not really. Just the running theory that whoever is doing this is a sick fuck." Theo answered bringing the bottle to his lips.

"Yeah, no doubt." Jesse answered mirroring his action.

"We don't have anything to talk about." Beca answered as she braced herself on the sink trying desperately to stop the room from spinning.

"How much did you have to drink?" Chloe asked quickly seeing the brunette swaying slightly.

Beca shook her head. She didn't know the answer to that question. She wasn't sure.

Chloe slowly crossed the room closing the distance between them. She used both of her hands to gather Beca's hair and pull it over her right shoulder. Beca's head remained down. "I know you're trying to protect me." Chloe whispered. "And that's fine Beca but don't fucking lie to me." Chloe said sternly as she softly touched Beca's neck.

The two extremes were messing with Beca's mind. The softness of Chloe's hands on her skin and the seriousness in her voice were causing Beca's head to spin even more than the alcohol.

"Don't say you don't feel anything when you do. Don't break my heart to save me." Chloe requested.

"I don't" Beca mumbled slowly her eyes closing slowly. "I don't want anything to happen to you." She breathed as she felt her knees begin to buckle.

"Oh, no. No Beca." Chloe said quickly as she saw Beca begin to fall. She was able to catcher enough to lower them both down to the floor slowly. "Shit" Chloe whispered as she sat on the dirty bathroom floor with Beca leaning heavily on her.

Jesse leaned towards his friend and brother, "Beca thinks whoever is doing this is a firefighter" he whispered.

The flash happened just over Jesse's left shoulder. Theo saw the bright light before he heard the sound. It happened so fast his brain couldn't process it until he was pushing pieces of wood from the bar, pieces of bar stool off of him. He looked around, the high pitched ringing in his ears painful, he spotted Jesse face down on the floor. Theo tried to shout Jesse's name but couldn't hear his own voice. He felt his throat strain as he crawled and reached for his unconscious friend. Out of his peripheral he could see other patron's scrambling to their feet. Some were headed for the exit and others were trying to help their friends.

"Not that I don't love cuddling with you but this floor is seriously nasty Beca" Chloe said to the passed out girl as she looked around the small room. The walls around her shook suddenly and the sound was clearly distinguishable. Her blood ran cold as listened to screaming and yelling begin to fill the background noise. Chloe pushed Beca off of her and propped her up on the wall as she scrambled to her feet immediately rushing towards the door. She turned the handle but it didn't budge. Chloe looked down remembering she had locked it. She flipped the small lock quickly and tried again to push the handle down but it didn't budge. Grey smoke began to slip under the small gap between the floor and the bottom of the door. "Oh my God" Chloe said quickly as she tried again this time putting her strength behind it but it didn't move an inch. She banged her hand on the door "Help!" She yelled as loud as she could knowing the probability of anyone hearing her, over the chaos that she could hear outside the door, was slim.

Theo turned Jesse over slowly. His face was covered in blood. "J" Theo felt himself yell. He could barely hear his own voice. The gash on Jesse's forehead was showing no sign of slowing. Theo looked around at the panicking crowd. He stood up on his wobbly legs and linked his hands under Jesse's shoulders beginning to drag him towards the front door of the building.

Chloe banged as hard as she could and yelled as loud as she could until her voice cracked. Her head fell against the door in frustration. She looked down at the smoke that was beginning to pour into the room from under the door. She turned back towards Beca who was still slumped against the wall. She moved quickly and knelt down in front of the girl smacking her in the face with a wince. "I'm sorry" She said feeling instantly guilty. "But I need you to wake up." She lightly slapped her face again. "Beca. Wake up." Chloe demanded. "Please. I need you to wake up."

* * *

 **AN: Yikes...**

 **Also, thanks for all your comments for the last couple chapters. You guys had me laughing with some of your comments. Y'all are awesome. Got any theories you think I should hear?**


	19. Chapter 18

The first thing she could feel was how sore her neck was. How tired it felt from holding up her head which felt like it weighed 80 pounds. The next thing she felt was the thickness of the air that filtered through her nostrils. Then the burning of her cheek and then the sting as a hand struck her firmly.

"Beca. Please wake up. I need you. Please" Chloe voice pleaded.

Beca's eyebrows furrowed giving Chloe hope that she was coming too. She reached for the firefighter lifting her head up. "Beca" Chloe said loudly.

Beca's eyelids began to raise slowly. She could see a fuzzy image in front of her. The outline of red hair. Two bright orbs. "Chloe?" Beca mumbled incoherently.

"Beca please. We're in trouble. I need your help. I need you." Chloe said quickly as she coughed again.

"Are you sick?" Beca mumbled as her heavy head swayed from side to side in Chloe's hands.

"Sick?" Chloe asked. "No. Beca the buildings on fire and we're trapped. Please wake up."

Beca's eyes opened a little wider as she took in her surroundings. "Fire?" She repeated.

Chloe stood quickly and made her way back to the door to try it again. The handle still didn't budge as she tried to knock it opened with her shoulder, the force knocking her body back instead of moving the door.

Beca turned so that she was able to lean with her back against the wall. She turned her head to watch Chloe pound on the door and trying to force it open by slamming her shoulder into it as her mind slowly wandered back to reality.

"Jesse!" Theo yelled as he laid his friend down in the parking lot. Theo circled around him and leaned over his face turning his head to hopefully feel breath on his ear and see Jesse's chest rise. He held his breath as he waited. "Shit" Theo said after no movement came from the dark haired man. He tilted Jesse's head back slightly and pinched his nose before pulling his mouth open and delivering two rescue breaths. He quickly pulled up and moved to start chest compression. "C'mon Jess." He grunted as he compressed Jesse's chest quickly. After several compressions he moved to deliver another two breaths. The faint sounds of sirens could be heard through the night as Theo continued. "Please Jesse" He begged.

Beca pushed herself off the wall and slouched forward. "Chloe" She said calmly as she unbuttoned her flannel shirt and slid it off her shoulders. "Put this under the door." She instructed but not nearly loud enough for Chloe to hear her. She watched the red head's fight with the door continue. "Chloe!" Beca said as loudly as she could.

Chloe turned toward Beca quickly.

"Put this under the door." Beca said holding out her shirt.

Chloe moved quickly pulling the garment from Beca's hand and turning back towards the doer.

"Wait" Beca said loudly.

Chloe stopped.

"Wet it." Beca coughed and pointed towards the sink. "Wet it in the faucet."

Chloe nodded and hurried to the sink turning on the water and drenching the shirt as quickly as she could. She didn't bother wringing it out as she moved back towards the door, bending down, lengthening out the shirt and bunching it under the door to stop the smoke from infiltrating the room.

Beca looked around. No windows. "What happened?" She asked as Chloe made her way back towards her.

Chloe sat down next to the firefighter exhausted, out of breath and her shoulder hurt. "I don't know. I think something exploded." Chloe said as she rested her head back against the wall.

"Jesse" Beca whispered. She tried to push herself to her feet quickly but stumbled immediately bracing herself on the white sink.

"Theo!" Stacie yelled as she ran from the ambulance. "Theo!" She said as she arrived on the opposite side of Jesse's body. CR stopped quickly right next to her. "What happened?" Stacie questioned as she took the position to begin rescue breathing.

He pushed himself back to his knees and nodded for her to take over.

She administered the two breaths as CR prepared to resume chest compression.

Theo tried to catch his breath. "Something exploded." He said loudly. "I don't know what happened." He said looking around at cops and firefighters working together to help the injured. Some still pulling people out of the building.

"Where's Beca?" Stacie asked. She knew from an earlier text the Beca and Jesse were going to the bar.

He shook his head, "She left already. I think Jesse said she walked home? I don't remember."

Chloe winched at red patches of skin that surrounded white bandages on the back of Beca's left arm covering her burns and the large gauze bandage covering the skin graft peeking out from Beca's tank top as the brunette stumbled towards the door. "What are you going to do?" She asked as Beca grabbed the handle giggling it forcefully.

"It's braced from the outside." Beca replied as her mind raced through scenarios. Options. "Who knows you're in here?" Beca said turning back to Chloe.

"No one" the teacher admitted. "I told Tom I was going to talk to a friend and I didn't tell Jesse where I was going when I followed you in here."

The events of the night flooded Beca's memory. Tom. Her face fell.

"I'm sorry." Chloe apologized quickly. "We're just friends. Tom and I."

"Jesse thinks I left." Beca said quietly choosing not to reply to Chloe. "So no one knows we're in here?"

"No" Chloe answered as their eyes met.

"I've got a pulse." CR announced after she checked his carotid artery. "Let's get a stretcher over here." She said looking up to Theo. He nodded quickly and pushed himself to his feet. He stumbled through his first couple of steps but eventually found his stride as he rushed over to Ambulance 9. He flipped the latch on the handle and pulled the back of the truck open quickly, pulling the stretcher out and making his way back to them.

CR and Stacie pushed Jesse's stretcher into the ambulance. "You should come with us. Get checked out." Stacie said turning back to Theo. He looked back at the bar that was engulfed in flames and B Shift of House 72 working to put it out.

"Hey!" The deep voice called out.

Theo turned to see the cop running towards him. "Hey!" The cop shouted again. Theo recognized him. He'd met him before. "Chloe? Have you seen Chloe?" He asked frantically.

"Chloe was here?" Stacie questioned.

"Yeah." The cop bent down resting his hands on his knee's trying to catch his breath. He turned his head to look back up at them. "She was here." He confirmed between breaths. "She went to talk to him" Tyler pointed in the ambulance at Jesse who lay unconscious. "And then I didn't see her. Then it blew."

Stacie looked back towards the building. "Why would Chloe be here without Beca?" She asked.

"She came with a guy. Uh, Tom." Tyler answered.

"Tom?" Stacie questioned. "The teacher she knows from work?"

"I have no idea." Tyler said shaking his head.

"Where is he? Maybe he knows where Chloe is" CR suggested.

"We were" He thought back, "we were throwing darts and then Chloe left to go talk to that guy" he pointed towards Jesse again. "The other guy and I"

"Tom" Stacie supplied interrupting him.

"Tom and I we kept playing. He said he" Tyler paused thinking, "he said he wanted to get another beer and went over to the bar. Then it just exploded."

"What exploded?" Theo asked confused. He saw the blast before he felt it. He was sitting at the bar with Jesse and could see it. He thought it came from close to where they were sitting not across the bar at the dart board.

"The whole bar. The whole bar just exploded." Tyler replied. "It blew me backwards. I looked for the guy, for um Tom, but I didn't see him. I don't know where he went. But the last time I saw Chloe, she was at the bar."

Theo shook his head. "She wasn't there. I was talking to Jesse when it went off. It felt like it was right next to us. Blew us clear across the room."

"We need to get Jesse to the hospital. You should both come." Stacie said quickly. CR agreed.

"I can't leave without knowing what happened to Chloe." Tyler said quickly.

"I'll stay too." Theo added.

"Theo. You should get check out." Stacie argued.

"I will. But I need to help." He replied with a sad smile.

Stacie tip toed up and kissed the man on the cheek. "Be careful." Too many of her friends were being hurt and caught in the worst of situations lately and it was beginning to wear her down.

Beca squinted her eyes as she concentrated on the part of the door she was going to strike with her foot. Her legs felt weak and her head still groggy but she gathered as much energy as she could. As quickly and powerfully as she could she struck the heel of her right foot in the exact spot she aimed for. The door didn't budge as Beca stumbled backwards trying to catch her balance. Her temper flared as she approached the door again and again kicking it as hard as she could. "What?" Her kick landed to the side of the door handle. "The" The next just below the previous spot. "Fuck?" Her final kick hit more of the middle of the door. She was out of breath as she looked at the door. "Jesus I'm drunk." Beca admitted breathless as she stumbled backwards. "I swear I only had like 3 drinks." She was speaking more to herself than the other occupant of the room.

The tears collected in Chloe's eyes as she watched Beca. "You shouldn't be drinking at all."

Beca turned back towards the redhead quickly. The anger in her voice catching her off guard. "What are you even doing here?" Beca snapped back.

"You don't own this bar Beca." Chloe responded quickly. "A friend" she emphasized, "asked me if I wanted to get a drink after work and after yesterday all I wanted to do was get a fucking drink." Chloe's voice grew loud. "You shouldn't even be here Beca. You should be at home resting."

"You're not my fucking mother." Beca spat.

Chloe's eyes narrowed. "Wanna know why you're drunk Beca?" She asked with an angry laugh. "You're on pain killers and some heavy antibiotics right? You shouldn't be drinking when you're taking those so yeah, you come in here to get a 'drink'" Chloe said sarcastically, "and see me and what get jealous?"

"No" Beca mumbled immediately but Chloe continued.

"And you end up having a couple or more and then puking." Chloe rolled her eyes. "Classy."

"Oh and you two are just friends right?" Beca argued back. "How many times has that dude asked you out? I'm willing to bet it's at least once a day. I mean shit Chlo, the very next day you show up with someone? The very next day?"

Chloe sat up straight. "Why do you care Beca? I thought you didn't feel anything."

Beca turned away from Chloe to look over the room once more. Two walls were dark grey brick. The other two walls were panel. Wood panel. They would eventually burn through. She could see the smoke in the air but at least her shirt was blocking more of it from coming in. She could feel the temperature in the room rising.

"There's no way out of here" Chloe's statement broke her heart. The sadness and acceptance in the redhead's voice made her look at her. "Right?"

"Come here" Beca said as she held her hand out to help Chloe up. She pulled Chloe to her feet and held her hand as the crossed the small space. She sat down pulling Chloe with her as they leant up again the cool brick of the outside wall. "I'll get us out." Beca said looking into Chloe's blue eyes. "I promise."

"How Beca? Neither of us can move that door." Chloe asked aware she was still griping Beca's hand tightly.

"You're right. We can't move it. Not yet." Beca answered. "But I'll move it."

"How?" Chloe asked.

"We're going to let it burn through."

"What?" Chloe asked quickly.

"We wait until the fire compromises its integrity. Then I'll be able to move it and we can get out." Beca explained as if it were nothing.

"That easy huh?" Chloe asked looking deep into Beca's eyes.

Beca shrugged one shoulder. "I'm sorry" She whispered. "For yesterday. And for yelling at you just now. You can do whatever you want. It's really none of my business. Especially after the way I treated you last night. "

"Beca" Chloe said softly looking deep into navy blue eyes. "I know I've said it before but I really like you. And Tom and I."

Beca looked away at the mention of his name again but Chloe's hand on the side of her face turned her back towards the redhead. "We are just friends. I'm not interested in him. I'm interested in you."

"But with him, you could have a normal relationship. One that's not fucking stressful and terrifying." Beca argued.

"Maybe I don't want normal. Maybe I want you." Chloe teased. "And again, I'm sorry for freaking out on you." Chloe smiled gently.

"I'm a little surprised you're not freaking out right now." Beca teased lightly.

"Oh I'm freaking out" Chloe confirmed. "But I'm with you so" Chloe's words trailed off as she glanced down to Beca's lips. She leaned in slowly but was met with Beca's forehead resting against hers taking away her ability to kiss her.

"I literally just threw up like 10 minutes ago." Beca whispered.

"I don't care" Chloe countered.

"What if I promise to kiss you after we get out? After I brush my teeth?" Beca asked.

Chloe pulled her forehead from Beca's and dropped her head to the side so she could meet their lips. She didn't want to wait. She didn't try to escalate the kiss. She held her lips softly to Beca's for a few seconds before pulling back.

Beca looked away from the intense look in Chloe's eyes and back towards the door. "It's time." Beca said as she pushed herself off her feet and towards the door that was beginning to warp.

Chloe stood quickly ready to do whatever Beca told her to do.

Beca lifted her hand and placed her palm against the door pulling back quickly. "Okay" She turned over her shoulder towards Chloe who was noticeable more nervous than she was 30 seconds ago. "I want you to wet my shirt down again and drape it over your head." Beca instructed. "When I pull it away it's going to get really smoky in here." Beca warned.

Chloe moved to the sink and turned on the water full blast so she wouldn't have to worry about doing that.

"Drape it over your head and then come here okay." Beca continued her instructions. "I'll kick the door down and then figure out how we can get out. It's gonna be hot Chlo."

Chloe nodded.

"Ready?" Beca asked.

Chloe nodded a little slower this time.

Beca bent down and pulled her shirt from under the door. She turned and handed it to Chloe who ran it under the faucet quickly.

"Come on Chloe" Beca yelled loudly as smoke poured into the room from under the door.

Chloe unraveled the shirt and draped it over her head like Beca instructed. She reached out for Beca who grabbed her hand tightly. She felt Beca place one of the wet arms of her shirt over her mouth and nose. "Hold this here." Beca instructed.

Chloe nodded. "What about you?" Chloe mumbled through the wet fabric.

"I'll be okay. Don't move" Beca said as she let go of Chloe's hand. She faced Chloe as she bent forward and kicked behind her as hard a she could splintering the warped door. Chloe watched Beca turn around and kick the door a couple more times moving it out of the way far enough for them to be able to get out.

Beca turned back to Chloe, "Don't move." She instructed again before moving past the door to look down the hallway and into the bar. Or what was left of it. It was engulfed. Large wooden beams that once graced the ceiling had fallen to the ground and were burning. She couldn't see any firefighters or squad members in the open space. Just tables, chairs, beams all burning. Beca knelt down to get a better view of what was left. She could see legs. People trapped but not moving. Her eyes followed the floor to the direction of the door. She thought she could visualize a safe way to get Chloe out, if nothing else crashed down. She looked up to see most of the ceiling still intact but sagging heavily. Beca turned back towards the bathroom moving quickly. "Come on" She coughed as she reached for Chloe who latched on to her hand quickly. "Keep your head down." Beca said loudly as she pulled Chloe down the hallway. Chloe's feet froze momentarily as she looked up at the walls that surrounded her were on fire. "Come on Chlo." She heard Beca say and tug on her arm. "Stay low" Beca yelled as they moved carefully through the building avoiding as much fire as she could. She turned back to look at Chloe who looked surprisingly calm. She felt Chloe tug her arm pulling her to a stop.

Beca turned back to the teacher and got close, almost nose to nose, "What's wrong?" Beca coughed.

Chloe pulled the sleeve from over her nose and mouth. "Should we help them?" She said looking a two women who were laying nearby not moving. Beca followed her eyes towards the victims and then turned back to Chloe.

"Leave this over your face." She said pushing the sleeve back in its place. "Stay here." Beca instructed as she moved quickly towards the women. They were badly burned. She placed two fingers over one of their necks and waited a few seconds before checking the other woman the same way. She looked around. They were clear of the debris and should be safe where they lie until the firefighters could pull out their bodies. She moved back to Chloe. "Their gone Chlo" She yelled as she grabbed Chloe's hand tightly. The loud sound of the ceiling cracking over their heads froze Chloe in her place. Beca looked up in time to see and judge the direction it was falling. She leapt at Chloe tackling her and pushing them to the right as hard as she could. They landing firmly on the redhead as debris rained down around them. "You okay?" Beca asked quickly once the skidded to a halt up against the top of a bistro table that had been blown on its side.

Chloe nodded unable to speak.

"We have to get out of here." She said pulling Chloe back to her feet quickly.

"Beca" Chloe's voice pleaded.

Beca looked to where Chloe was staring.

"Shit" She mumbled.

"Please" Chloe begged. "Save him."

Theo looked around the parking lot scanning the people. No sight of Tom. No sight of Chloe. "She can't possibly be in there." He whispered under his breath as he began to move towards the old building. He passed by the firetruck and grabbed an extra helmet that they kept in a storage bin.

"What are you doing?" A firefighter from B shift asked him.

"There's someone in there. Her name is Chloe. She's unaccounted for." Theo yelled over all the commotion.

"There's a lot of people in there but chief ordered us to stand down. There are beams all over the place. It's completely unstable." The B shift crew informed him. "It's gonna burn."

"Beca please" Chloe begged.

Beca pushed the table top away from him. She reached under his shoulders and locked her hands around his chest lifting him enough to drag him. "Stay close to me" She said looking at Chloe who nodded. Beca moved quickly not stopping with her eyes on the ceiling most of the time. It was going to come down at any time. She made it to the door with Tom and Chloe. Beca coughed violently. "Grab that piece of wood" She instructed Chloe. "Pry the door open. But wait" She stopped the art teacher just before she grabbed it. "Use my shirt in case it's hot" Beca said through rough coughs. Chloe moved quickly. She wrapped part of Beca's shirt around her hands and reached for the piece of wood that was laying by the door. She picked it up and shoved it in between the small opening and pushed as hard as she could prying the front door open.

"Go!" Beca yelled when it was open enough for them to evacuate. She felt herself relax as Chloe took a step outside the burning building before she began pulling the math teacher out.

"Beca!" Theo yelled as he watched the redhead exit followed closely by his Lieutenant. He ran quickly in their direction. "We need some help over here" He called out over his shoulder. "We need an ambo!" He yelled as he reached Beca pulling Tom from her grasp, taking over and pulling him back quickly.

Chloe turned back towards the brunette who was struggling to catch her breath.

As soon as Theo took Tom from her she bent forward placing her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. "Baby" Chloe said quickly as she bent over with Beca. "Are you okay?"

Beca nodded as she stood up just as a paramedic reached her.

"Here. Put this over your mouth." The woman said quickly as she handed Beca a small oxygen mask. Beca placed it over her face as she looked around at the scene.

Beca took a couple deep breaths of oxygen. It burned as it went into her nose.

"Open up" The paramedic said just after shining a small flashlight over his gloved hand to make sure it was on.

Beca pulled the mask from her face and opened her mouth.

"We should get you to the hospital. You have some soot in your throat." He said as he clicked the flashlight off.

Beca placed the mask back over her face and took a few more breaths before handing it back to the paramedic. "Roberts!" Beca yelled for one of men she recognized from B shift.

He immediately ran over to her.

"Why isn't your crew going in?" She asked as she cleared her throat. She turned away from him and Chloe to spit on the ground. Even in the dark she could see that it was almost completely black.

"Chief Smith said to stand down." He said quickly.

"Do you know what happened to Jesse?" She asked looking around not seeing her best friend anywhere.

"He was pretty banged up. Conrad transported him to UCLA." Roberts reported.

Beca felt her heart drop. "What's that mean? Banged up? What's that?" She rattled off.

"I don't know. I just heard, I didn't see him." Roberts replied.

"Give me your jacket."

"Beca?" Chloe questioned just as the paramedic finished checking her throat.

"Lieutenant?" Roberts asked.

"Give me your jacket Roberts." She said authoritatively. "There are people in there. We can get them."

"Chief said to stand down." He repeated.

"Give me your jacket." She ordered authoritatively. "You can tell him I took it from you."

Roberts quickly began removing his bunker coat.

"And helmet" She requested.

"You can't go back in there." Chloe said quickly.

Beca ignored her as she reached for the jacket. The weight of it felt familiar. It was her security blanket. She fastened it and Velcroed it up tight.

"We going in?" Theo asked as he approached her and offered her a bottle of water.

Beca accepted it with a nod. She took a small sip as the liquid burned in her throat. She gargled the water and spit out the now dark colored liquid on the ground. "We've got probably two minutes before it comes down." Beca said as she poured the remainder of the bottle over her head.

Even in the dark Chloe could see steam immediately rising off Beca's head. She handed the bottle back to Theo as she accepted Robert's helmet. She adjusted it smaller and pulled it down firmly on her head.

"Beca please" Chloe pleaded reaching for Beca's arm.

"How's Tom?" She asked Theo.

"Alive." Was the simple reply.

"Make sure she gets to the hospital." Beca said to Roberts nodding towards Chloe.

"Beca no. I'm not leaving you here." Chloe protested.

"Chloe." Beca sighed. "I'm okay. Please go. I'll see you there okay?" She leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on Chloe's soot covered cheek.

"I promise." Were the last two words Chloe heard Beca say before she pulled away from her and ran back towards the building with Theo by her side stride for stride.

* * *

 **AN: In all honesty, I don't love this chapter but I'm interested in y'alls thoughts. By the way, love love love your theories so what do you think now?**


	20. Chapter 19

She stood outside the room for a couple of minutes watching the redhead lay in the bed with her blonde best friend at her bedside. "Is she okay?" Beca asked as she quietly entered Chloe's hospital room.

Aubrey turned towards Beca and pushed herself out of her chair quickly.

Before Beca knew what was happening Aubrey pulled her in for a tight hug. "Thank you. Thank you Beca" was falling from her mouth quickly.

"You're welcome but you're hurting me." Beca said through gritted teeth.

"Oh" Aubrey pulled back quickly remembering Beca's burns. "I'm so sorry."

"Is she okay?" Beca asked again looking around the blonde to the art teacher sleeping in the hospital bed.

"Yeah. She is. It's unbelievable that she didn't suffer any severe smoke inhalation. She has some minor bumps and bruises. Her shoulder was pretty tender but other than that, she's fine. The doctor just gave her something to help rest." Aubrey replied. "She was worried about you."

Beca nodded.

"Did you see Jesse?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah." Beca whispered as she took the seat Aubrey vacated. She reached forward and grabbed Chloe's hand holding it in both of hers. "The doctor says he'll be okay."

"He will. A few broken ribs and 12 stitches but he should be fine. His neuro exams were good and his lungs were clear. He'll have a pretty bad headache for a few days after he wakes up but he was lucky. Apparently Theo got to him quickly." Aubrey breathed.

"Yeah" Beca sighed. "And Chloe's friend? Tom?" She asked.

"Mitchell" Chief Smith said angrily. "Let's go." He ordered.

She knew this was coming. She disobeyed a direct order. Beca stood slowly from the chair and leaned over the railing to place a softy kiss to Chloe's forehead. She passed Aubrey and rounded the door, entering the hallway.

"Chief" She said hoping to pre-emptively explain.

"What in the hell were you thinking?" He shouted. "You weren't even on shift."

"I was in the restroom when it happened." She replied. "Chloe and I had to get ourselves out."

"And at what point did you join B Shift?" He demanded. "They were under orders to stand down. Orders that you directly ignored. That building could have collapsed at any moment Beca. It was unstable." He said angrily.

"Aren't we all" Beca mumbled. Unfortunately he heard.

"You're going to make jokes? You think this is funny Mitchell? I should have your badge for the stunt you pulled." He said poking hard on the left side of her chest where the firefighter's logo was on her shirt.

She straightened out her posture and cleared her throat. "I passed people on the way out Chief. I knew where they were so Theo and I were able to get in and out quickly." She tried to explain.

"You and Theo disobeyed a direct order." He said forcefully.

"I ordered Theo in. I'm his Lieutenant, he was just following my instruction." Beca replied quickly.

"Really?" Chief Smith asked skeptically. "You're going to take the heat for him too?"

"Yes sir" Beca said as she straightened up. "But I was in there so I could see" she began.

"No Beca. "The only reason you're not suspended for this is because you and Theo pulled five people from that building. Five people who would have otherwise died. It remains to be seen how many of them actually live but you gave them a fighting chance, so no, I can't possibly suspend you but I should. I am however placing you on 20 day injury related restricted duty."

"Come on Chief, don't do that." Beca argued. "I can help. If you don't want me to respond to calls then put me on light duty but not restricted."

"This isn't up for discussion Beca. You're on restriction. With pay I might add. I don't want you in that firehouse for 20 days starting Monday."

"I'm one of the best firefighters you have Chief." Beca said quickly, "Don't bench me."

An idea quickly sprang in his mind. "You wanna work?" He asked.

"Yes" Beca huffed.

"Fine. You can meet the Chief Arson Investigator that's coming in from LA on Monday. You want to help someone. Help her. Figure out who is doing this." He said quickly knowing that's not Beca's idea of work. He could see that we was about to protest again but he beat her to the punch, "take it or leave it Mitchell."

Beca nodded once silently accepting her punishment.

Chief Smith reached into is pocked and pulled out a small folded piece of paper. "Gail Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberg." He read and then held it out for Beca to take.

"Jesus" Beca mumbled reading the long hyphenated name.

"Call her. Set up a meeting." He instructed.

"Yes sir" Beca said quietly.

"20 days Beca. I don't want you near a squad or fire truck. Got it?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes sir."

"What you did tonight was dangerous and reckless and one of the bravest things I've seen on the job. But get it out of your mind that you're invincible. You're not. It will catch up to you just like it caught up to Jack." He said sadly recalling his best friend just before turning his back and walking away from his best friend's daughter. She reminded him so much of Jack Mitchell that it frightened him. The girl he'd known since she was born. The girl he'd watch grow. The girl he promised his dying best friend to always protect.

Beca watched him walk down the hallway of the hospital.

Aubrey cleared her throat. "She's awake." She whispered. "I'm going see about getting her released." Aubrey said softly as Beca passed by her and entered the hospital room.

Chloe smiled weakly at her. "Hi" her voice was rough.

"Hi" Beca replied softly as she sat back down in the chair next to Chloe's bed.

"Did you get checked out?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Paramedics looked at me on scene." Beca answered.

"Did you brush your teeth yet?" Chloe asked with a smile.

Beca rolled her eyes and stood slightly so she could lean over the rail of the hospital bed. Chloe's right hand reached across her body and grabbed a handful of Beca's shirt. Pulling herself toward the brunette. Their lips met briefly. "I didn't" Beca teased as she pulled back. It was true. She hadn't brushed her teeth but she had drank several bottles of water so she figured it was close enough.

"I don't care." Chloe whispered. "Come here" She pulled Beca closer. The firefighter braced herself with the hospital bed railing as Chloe pulled Beca's bottom lip into her mouth sucking it slightly. She released it and slipped her tongue quickly into Beca's mouth as she reclaimed the girl's lips. The kiss ended and Chloe pulled back with a frown. "You taste like ashes."

"Sorry" Beca replied quickly but Chloe knew she wasn't sorry at all.

"What was your boss saying to you in the hall?" Chloe asked. After she woke up she was looking around for Beca and found her with her back to her window seeming to be getting in serious trouble.

"Nothing." Beca answered as she pulled away from the bed as Chloe released her grip on her.

"It didn't look like nothing Becs." Chloe countered.

"Nothing you need to worry about right now. We can talk about it later." Beca replied thankful Aubrey walked in a second later.

"You're free to go." Aubrey announced happily. She stopped in her tracks feeling the heavy atmosphere in the room.

"Can you drop us off at Beca's?" Chloe asked looking at her blonde best friend.

"You need to go home Chlo. Get some rest" Beca said quickly before Aubrey could answer.

"I can rest at your place. And I can make sure you rest too." Chloe argued quietly.

"I'm gonna stay with Jesse." Beca answered. "He didn't leave my side and I won't leave his."

"He could be in the hospital for days Beca" Aubrey said softly. "I can have someone call you as soon as he wakes up." She offered.

"Please. Come home with me." Chloe asked.

Beca shook her head. "I'm gonna stay with him. If he wakes up, I'll go home tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" Chloe asked closing the distance between them.

"He's my best friend. And my brother. I need to stay with him." Beca replied.

"Okay. Call me though? Please?" Chloe asked. "I know you've got so much going on right now but we need to talk about things."

"I promise I'll call you." Beca answered.

"Okay" Chloe whispered just before she lightly kissed Beca. "I'll see you soon?"

"You will." Beca said just before leaving the room and heading back down to the ICU and back to Jesse's bedside.

"You ready?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah, can we go by Tom's room first? I want to check on him." Chloe asked.

"Of course." Aubrey replied with a soft smile as she wrapped her arm around Chloe's shoulder and walked out with her best friend.

Beca made her way quickly through the halls of the hospital back to Jesse's room on the 3rd floor.

"Hey. Thanks for staying with him." Beca said as she entered Jesse's room.

"Yeah of course." Theo answered. "I saw Chief. He just left like 2 seconds ago."

"Yeah, I saw him earlier."

"He said you told him you ordered me in the building." Theo said quickly. "You know that's not true. Why would you tell him that?"

"You're a great firefighter Theo. The team needs you and I'm you're Lieutenant, you're my responsibility." Beca answered.

"With all due respect, I can make my own decisions Beca."

"Did he put you pull you from active duty?" Beca asked.

"No" Theo answered quickly before the realization that Beca saved him from being disciplined finally crossed his mind. "What about you?"

"20 day restrictive duty." Beca answered as she pulled up a chair on the side of Jesse's bed opposite Theo.

"Thanks." Theo said sincerely.

"It's the very least I could do Theo. Stacie told me you pulled Jesse out."

Theo nodded.

"You saved his life and that's something that I could never repay you for." Beca said her voice slightly cracking under the emotion.

"We're a team right? Family?" He asked with a small smile.

"Family." Beca repeated.

Chloe gripped Aubrey's hand tightly. The sight of Tom was startling. Tubes and wires everywhere. Bandages over most of his body and half of his face. A tube coming out of his throat. "He has severe burns over 40% of his body." The nurse said reading from Tom's chart. "Acute subdural Hematoma possibly from being so close to the blast, possibly from hitting his head when he fell. We don't know but he is being kept in a medically induced coma until the swelling in his brain goes down. Doctor's won't know if there will be any lasting damage until they wake him up."

Chloe's eyes watered as she listened to the nurse relay his status to them. He had always been a nice guy to her. Persistent but nice. He didn't deserve this.

"It's better this way Chlo. It will allow his body to heal." Aubrey explained softly.

"Do you know who we could contact? Does he have any family?" The nurse asked.

Chloe shook her head suddenly aware of how little she knew about him. "I don't know but I can find out." She said thinking quickly. She knew she would have to get in touch with Dean Lewis to get his employee file but she would do it. "Can I let you know tomorrow?" Chloe asked.

"Yes, that would be great." The nurse replied.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe groaned as she opened her eyes slowly. By the time they got home from the hospital and after she showered and texted briefly with Beca it was almost 3am when she finally got into bed. She turned her head slowly to look at her clock. 7:32am. She needed sleep. Much more sleep. She reached up for the water bottle that sat on her nightstand and grimaced. That's when she felt how sore her whole body was. Chloe pushed herself up with her hands and then slowly scooted her body back so she could sit up against her headboard. She reached over and pulled her phone of the charger and the bottle of water. After quickly drinking almost the entire Smart Water, she screwed the cap on tightly and let the bottle rest in her lap. She raised her phone and quickly navigated through her contacts finding Beca's name and pressing the call button. She listened to three rings before the line was answered.

"Hey" Beca sounded exhausted.

Chloe felt instantly guilty. "Did I wake you?"

"No. I've been awake most of the night." Beca replied. Chloe could hear movement in the background.

"How's Jesse?" Chloe asked.

"Good. He woke up a few hours ago." Beca answered. "The doctor's did another neuro exam and he responded well. He's been in an out."

Chloe felt relieved for Jesse and then immediately worried for Tom. "That's such good news Beca."

"Yeah" Beca agreed softly.

"Are you going to come home soon?" Chloe asked hopeful.

"Yeah. In a few more hours. Stacie said she'd come up here and sit with him for a while when she got off shift. But I need to go by the house and clean out my locker and stuff before I go home." Beca said quickly, too tired to realize what she let slip.

"Clean out your locker?" Chloe asked quickly. "Why? Did you get fired?" She asked remembering the heated conversation she witnessed between Beca and the Chief last night.

"No. I didn't get fired." Beca paused, "But I did get put on 20 day restriction."

"What's that?" Chloe asked.

"Uh, it's a kind of informal suspension. I'm restricted from the house for 20 days beginning Monday so I need to go and get my things and clean out my locker. At the end of 20 days Chief will either lift the restriction or extend it." Beca answered.

"Why?" Chloe asked softly.

"I disobeyed a direct order by going back in the bar." Beca replied her voice heavy.

Chloe listened carefully. She felt torn. She felt bad for Beca. She could hear the disappointment in her voice as she explained her punishment. But she also felt relieved that for the next 20 days Beca wouldn't be at work. She wouldn't be running into burning buildings. She would be safe. Maybe it was a false sense of security because a bomb went off at the bar they were at last night but it was a feeling of security none the less.

"But I got him to let me assist the Arson Investigator that's coming into town, so at least I'll still get to work. I'm not supposed to be at the house and I definitely can't respond to any calls but I still get to help." Beca added.

"That's good then, right?" Chloe asked. "That you can still help."

"Yeah. It's better than sitting at home." Beca replied with a short laugh.

"Do you want me to come over? When you get home?" Chloe asked. "Maybe we could spend the weekend together?"

"I'll probably be back and forth from the hospital Chlo." Beca said softly.

"Beca" Chloe said warningly. "You said we would talk. You promised."

Beca sighed. "I know but I'm just so tired. I don't really want to talk." She admitted.

Chloe shook her head as she listened to Beca. She didn't reply. She just sat silently. Waiting for Beca to say something next. Forcing her to speak.

"You still there?" Beca asked after a long silence. She pulled her phone away from her ear to glance at the screen. The call was still connected. "Chloe?"

"Yes. I'm here." Chloe whispered sadly.

"Just" Beca stopped. "Can I? Can I call you later?" She asked.

"Later when?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know. Like after I've slept. After Jesse's been awake for more than 2 seconds." Beca rattled off. A slight hint of anger in her voice.

"Yeah, sure. Sorry I bothered you." Chloe replied solemnly.

"Chloe. Don't do that." Beca replied. "I'm glad you called. Really. I just need some time."

"Time?" Chloe questioned in a much louder voice than she'd used for the entire call. Beca winced.

"You just need some time?" Chloe repeated.

"Chlo" Beca said softly trying sooth the redhead.

"No Beca. Don't you get it?" Chloe huffed loudly. She pushed herself out of bed ignoring the soreness coursing through her body and began pacing her room. "We may not have time" Chloe emphasized. "Whatever is going on. Whoever this arsonist is. Why ever they are trying to kill firefighters, I don't know and I certainly can't understand but that doesn't change the fact that it's happening. That doesn't change the fact that at any single moment, we could be out of time." Chloe took a deep breath. "Don't you see Beca? I'd rather spend the time we do have together because at any moment it could be taken from us. We could be sitting in a bar on a casual Friday night having a drink and a bomb goes off. You could be called to a fire that it set specifically designed to kill you. So I'm sorry if I think that time is a luxury that we don't really have at this moment Beca. All we have is right now. Today. Maybe tomorrow." Chloe trailed off.

Beca leaned forward in her chair, thankful that the nurses that were in Jesse's room a couple of minutes ago were now gone. She held the phone close to her ear listening for sniffling but heard none. She rested her head in her right hand. "Chloe" Beca whispered. Her voice suddenly silky. "We have plenty of time."

"You don't know that Beca." Chloe fired back sharply. She took a deep breath. This was not how she wanted this to go. It wasn't the reason she called Beca today. "Look, I've got to call my boss and get information on Tom for the hospital."

Beca raised her head quickly. "My mom?" Beca asked.

"Yes. You're mom" Chloe rolled her eyes. "I need to find out Tom's emergency contacts and then get them to the hospital staff so they can contact his family."

"Why do you have to do it?" Beca questioned.

"I was in his hospital room last night when the nurses were asked if I knew who they should call for him. I have no idea about his family so I need Dean Lewis's help." Chloe answered. "I'll probably have to go up to the school and then I'll go by the hospital so I should probably get going."

"You're coming up here? Why? Can't you just call the desk or something?" Beca asked.

"He's my friend Beca. I'm going to visit him."

"Yeah, okay." Beca replied softly her attention being caught by Jesse who was starting to stir.

"Okay well, I'm glad Jesse's feeling better." Chloe attempted to sound nice but it came out a little too snarky for her true intensions.

"I'll call you later Chlo. Okay?" Beca asked quickly as Jesse's eyes fluttered open.

"Yeah sure Beca. Call me later" Chloe replied skeptically.

The three quick beeps sounded in Beca's ear before she could say bye to Chloe. She picked her head up and was met with dark brown eyes looking at her quizzically. She held up her phone. "Chloe." Beca sighed. "I keep letting her down. I mean I keep telling myself that I'm not going to do it this time. I'm not going to push her away because she is great and I really like her and I think that we could maybe, possibly be something amazing but every single time I screw it up. I let her down." Beca said looking at Jesse expecting advice on the situation.

His eyebrows furrowed together as he looked at her questioningly. "I'm sorry." His throat was dry and his voice was scratchy. He cleared his throat slightly, "Who are you?"

Beca could feel the blood draining from her face. She felt her stomach drop. She felt the tiny beads of sweat begin to form on the back of her neck. She felt her heart rate speed up. "Um" she mumbled.

"I'm just kidding Becs" Jesse said with a smile.

"Oh" Beca stood up quickly feeling a mixture of relieved and slightly pissed that he would pull a joke like that on her. "Fuck you, you fucker!" She said loudly.

His smile turned into a laugh which turned into a painful coughing fit.

 **XxXxXx**

A couple hours later Chloe found herself standing outside Hidden Hills Academy bouncing from side to side anxiously. Her phone began ringing from inside her bag and she reached in blindly rummaging for it as she waited for Dean Lewis to arrive.

"Hello?" She answered quickly noticing it was Beca who called.

"Hey Chlo." Beca greeted. "Are you busy?"

"Yeah, I'm in the middle of something Beca." Chloe answered quickly as a white car pulled up in front of the school stopping right behind Chloe's.

"Okay. Well are you still going to visit Tom?" Beca asked.

"Yes. As soon as I have a list of his emergency contacts" Chloe answered just as Dean Lewis stepped out of the car. "I really need to go Beca."

"Can you call me when you get here?" Beca asked. "We can talk? I'm sorry for earlier. When you called this morning."

"Yeah sure. I'll call you when I get there" Chloe rushed out as she smiled at Dean Lewis. She thought she heard Beca begin to say something before she ended the call quickly and dropped the phone in her bag. "Thank you so much for meeting me Dean." Chloe said sincerely. "I'm so sorry to have to bother you on a Saturday morning."

"Of course dear." Dean Lewis said as she pushed the key into the front door of the school and turned it.

Chloe followed quickly behind her boss. "Do you have any news on Mr. Evans?" Dean Lewis asked as she walked quickly down the hall.

"No ma'am. I'm heading straight over to the hospital as soon as I get his emergency contacts." Chloe said as she stepped quickly to keep up with her boss.

Once inside her office Chloe watched Dean Lewis open a file cabinet and finger through the folders until she found the one they were looking for. "Here it is." Dean Lewis said as she opened the employee file.

"I feel so horrible." Chloe admitted.

Dean Lewis paused and looked up at her questioning.

"My classroom is right next door to his. I've seen him every day for the last couple of months and I don't know a thing about him. I don't know if he has family nearby or any of his friends. Nothing." Chloe said looking down.

Dean Lewis returned to the file, flipping through the papers. "Such is the nature of co-workers Miss. Beale."

Chloe looked up.

"It's quite fortunate that you weren't harmed. 10-70 is a very small place." Dean Lewis said as she pulled a sheet of paper from behind a form.

Chloe wasn't sure her tone wasn't meant to be accusatory or not. "Yes, well. Beca was there."

Dean Lewis looked up at Chloe with a panicked expression.

"She's fine." Chloe said quickly. "She saved my life." Chloe admitted.

"So. The two of you?" Dean Lewis asked tentatively.

Chloe blushed. "It's very complicated Dean Lewis." Chloe had to look away to calm her nerves. Once she looked back she continued, "But I like your daughter an awful lot. And I'm not entirely sure how to proceed here." She said motioning between herself and her boss. "I mean you know Beca. She doesn't like to" Chloe searched for the right word. The word to use to not offend Beca's mother.

"Share?" Dean Lewis supplied. "Open up? Trust? Participate?"

"Yeah" Chloe whispered in agreement.

Dean Lewis silently nodded. She made her way over to the small copy machine she had in her office and copied the paper she pulled from the file. "Mr. Evan's list of emergency contacts." Dean Lewis said as she presented the paper for Chloe.

"Thank you Dean Lewis." Chloe said as she accepted the information.

"I have no idea what is actually going on in this town Chloe." Dean Lewis said her persona completely changing from authoritative to almost motherly. "But this is a dangerous time and it seems my daughter is caught up in the middle of it. Please be careful dear."

"Yes ma'am" Chloe smiled gently. "I will and thank you again for this." She rustled the paper gently.

"Please, keep me posted on Mr. Evans, will you?"

"Of course." Chloe said with a smile just before turning to exit the office and the building.

"Are you sure? I mean I can stay here with you." Beca said again after making her way back into Jesse's hospital room.

Jesse groaned. "If you don't leave I'll never get any rest."

"Gee thanks." Beca replied sarcastically.

"Seriously Bec, I'm fine. Really." He said looking at her. "So go. Be with Chloe."

"What if she doesn't want to be with me anymore?" Beca asked nervously.

"Then it will be completely your fault." He answered quickly. "But you will make it right and you will stop messing it up."

Beca grinned hopefully.

"And you will stop throwing up in bathrooms because that's nasty. And you will not leave a bar and then go back in without telling me. Nobody knew you were in that bathroom Becs. Things could have ended up so badly. We were lucky this time." Jesse breathed.

"We were." Beca agreed.

They shared a moment of comfortable silence between them. "Go" Jesse urged. "I'll see you sometime tomorrow."

"Why are you so eager to get rid of me?" Beca teased.

"I heard Aubrey's on shift today. I'm hoping she'll be by." Jesse smiled.

"Yeah, good luck with that." Beca said as she stood from the chair. "If you need anything, you'll call me." Beca instructed rather than questioned.

Jesse nodded.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe stepped onto the elevator along with several different people. "4 please" She asked the man closest to the panel. "Thanks." She responded after he pushed that floor illuminating the button brightly. She looked down at the paper in her hands and read over the names and numbers. She assumed they were his mother and father. They shared the same last name and an out of town area code. "316" she whispered to herself. She wasn't familiar with where that area code was registered too. The bell dinged and Chloe looked up. This was her destination. "Excuse me" She said politely as she weaved through the bodies on the elevator. Once on the ICU floor she walked back down the long hallway just as she had don't the much earlier that morning with Aubrey. She stopped at the nurse's station seeing the same blonde nurse that asked her for the names she was holding. "Hi" Chloe greeted.

"Oh hey" The nurse answered quickly.

"I was able to locate the emergency contacts you were asking about last night." Chloe said holding out the paper.

"Oh my God that is so great." The nurse took the paper. "Thank you so much. I'll contact them right away."

"Is it okay to visit him?" Chloe asked tentatively.

"Oh absolutely." The nurse answered.

"Has there been any changes?"

"He was evaluated this morning and the doctors want to continue to keep him under until the swelling in his brain goes down. So no changes but that's not a bad thing. Nothing is better but nothing is worse either." The nurse explained trying to sound positive. "It's going to take some time."

Chloe nodded slowly.

"My name is Michelle by the way." The nurse said standing and extending her hand.

"Nice to meet you Michelle, I'm Chloe."

After exchanging names Chloe excused herself and began walking the hallway again towards Tom's room. She made a slight right turn and stopped suddenly in her tracks.

Beca looked up and to the right at the stunned redhead. She stood from the chair that sat just outside Tom's ICU door and began to slowly move towards the teacher. "I don't know Tom very well." Beca nervously chuckled, "At all really. So I thought it would be kind of weird if I was just hanging out in his room but I did want to check on him. To see how he was doing and to wait for you." Beca said quietly coming to a stop in front of Chloe.

Chloe didn't reply.

"Did you get everything you needed? From my mom? From the school?" Beca asked. "I could call her if you need me too."

"No" Chloe said quickly. "I got it. That's where I was when you called earlier. I was meeting her."

"Oh. Okay." Beca answered. "I can go. If you don't want me here." Beca offered sadly.

Chloe didn't reply. She didn't know why but she was a little shocked that Beca was there. She knew she was in the hospital with Jesse but she didn't think the firefighter would step away from him long enough to sit and wait for her.

"Okay." Beca hung her head and moved to step around Chloe.

"No. Don't" Chloe said quickly. "I'm sorry I just can't believe you're here."

"Why?" Beca asked.

"Because Jesse's your best friend. I didn't think you would leave his side. He's like the most important thing in the world to you." Chloe answered.

Beca felt guilt wash over her. "I know I have a pretty shitty way of showing it but you're important to me too."

Chloe needed to change the subject. She felt too vulnerable, to caught off guard to respond the way that Beca was looking at her. The intensity in her dark blue eyes. She knew it was true. She could see it in her eyes that Beca meant every word. "Is he okay?" She mumbled. "Jesse?"

"He will be." Beca smiled.

"Good" Chloe whispered.

"Do you mind if I wait for you? While you visit with Tom?" Beca asked. "And then maybe you could take me home? My Jeep isn't here so I kind of need a ride."

Chloe's expression dropped. Was she seriously just asking for a ride?

"Then maybe you could stay? And we can talk? And we can spend the weekend together?" Beca asked nervously.

* * *

 **AN: Things have been intense for the last couple of chapters so I think I may need to ease up on the next chapter. Maybe focus on BeChloe's weekend? Thoughts and reactions to this chapter are greatly appreciated. You guys are seriously great! Thanks so much.**


	21. Chapter 20

She patiently waited outside of Tom's ICU hospital room while Chloe sat with the man. Once Chloe was finished they walked out of the hospital and towards Chloe's car. For the most part the ride was silent as Beca tried to figure out what to say first.

"I'm sorry." She blurted out as Chloe pulled up to a stop light. She continued looking out the front window but could feel Chloe's head turn towards her. She could feel those blue eyes.

"I was jealous." Beca admitted.

Sitting outside Tom's hospital room she had a chance to relive the previous night. The words Chloe threw at her. The accusations the redhead made. How Chloe felt.

"You were right. I saw you with Tom and I was jealous." Beca turned to meet Chloe's hard stare. "And pissed off."

The question was on the tip of Chloe's tongue when Beca continued.

"Pissed off because you were there with Tom." Beca sighed. "And that was my fault. I mean" She lightly laughed at herself, "what do I expect? When I treat you the way I did the night before? I had no right to be jealous and I had no right to be angry." Beca said softly. "But I'm glad I was all of those things because all of those things contributed to me ending up in that bathroom with you."

A long angry honk startled Chloe. She was lost in Beca's words. Lost in Beca's eyes. In the sound of her voice. She quickly turned towards the front of the car to see the green light quickly turn yellow. "Shit" She mumbled as she pressed on the gas pedal. The man in the car behind her didn't have enough time to make it through the intersection. She saw his middle finger appear in her rear view mirror as she sped away.

"Chlo" Beca said calmly.

She felt Beca's hand on her thigh and heard her voice. "Slow down."

The remainder of the ride went quickly. No words were shared and Beca had removed her hand from Chloe's thigh shortly after the art teacher's foot eased off the pedal. As the car rolled to a stop at a stop sign, Chloe looked in both directions. Each direction leaded to a different destination.

"Do you want me to take you home or to the firehouse?" She asked turning towards Beca.

"Um" Beca looked at Chloe, "home is fine. You're gonna stay right?" She asked nervously. "I mean I haven't eaten and I'm starving."

Chloe smirked slightly.

"No, not that you have to cook. I was going to cook. I just thought maybe if you haven't eaten we could you know. Eat. Food." Beca mumbled towards the end.

"No. I haven't eaten." Chloe smiled. Beca's nervousness was charming.

"Okay" Beca whispered with a smile.

"But I thought you had to go get your things or something from work?" Chloe asked.

Beca sighed and ran her hand through her brown hair. "Yeah, but I can do that tomorrow. I don't really feel like going right now."

Chloe nodded as she turned left away from the firehouse and towards Beca's apartment complex. A few miles later Chloe turned into the large parking lot and wound her way through until she was pulling into the parking spot next to Beca's Jeep. They got out and walked towards the staircase that lead up to Beca's apartment. Chloe began taking the stairs and felt Beca's hands find each side of her hips. She felt them squeeze gently as she walked up the steps.

The feeling of Chloe's hands on top of hers made her smile as they trudged up the stairs together one after the other. Once they made it to the top landing Beca dropped her hands from Chloe's hips but instantly missing the contact she reached her right hand for Chloe's left and laced their fingers together as they continued down the long hallway towards Beca's apartment. Beca fished the keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door.

"I'm gonna shower" She announced tiredly as Chloe followed her into the apartment closing the door behind them.

"Okay. Do you want me to make something to eat?" Chloe asked as she followed Beca to her bedroom.

"If you want." Beca turned with a smile. "Or." She reached her hand for the redhead and pulled her close. "You can wait till I get out and I can make us something." Beca offered as Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca's waist and rested her chin on Beca's right shoulder.

Chloe felt Beca's hands slowly running up and down her back. "Mhmm" she moaned. "That feels good." Chloe purred.

Beca's hands slipped under Chloe's blouse. She ran her fingertips along Chloe's spine. She could feel the goosebumps rise on Chloe's skin as she lightly made contact with her skin working her fingertips up the length of the redhead's back. She felt Chloe's head lift from her shoulder then she felt Chloe's nose softly graze the length of her neck and then soft lips on her skin.

"If you don't stop" Beca said teasingly. "I'm not gonna make it to the shower."

"Um" Chloe moaned as she reattached her lips to Beca's neck. "You started it."

Beca pulled her hands from under Chloe's shirt and back down to her hips. She extended her arms and held Chloe' away from her. "I really need to take a shower."

Chloe closed the distance. She placed a softy kiss on Beca's lips. "Okay. I'll make us some lunch." She said after pulling away.

"Kay" Beca replied. She dropped her hands from Chloe and made her way to her bathroom discarding her shirt on the way.

"Do you need help with your bandages or anything?" Chloe asked seeing the large pads over the burns.

"No, but I'll need help covering them when I'm done." Beca replied. "If you don't mind?"

"Of course I don't mind Becs." Chloe smiled. "I'll be in the kitchen."

Beca watched Chloe leave her room before turning towards the shower and turning on the water. Beca reached around and grabbed the edge of the bandage. She pulled gently feeling the tape separate from her skin. She inspected the bandage for any sign of infection like the doctors had shown her at the hospital. Satisfied that she was heeling well she tossed the bandage in the garbage can and repeated the process with the white pads that covered the burns on the back of her arm. She undid her belt and pushed her jeans down her legs. She kicked off her shoes and stepped out of the denim quickly. Beca pulled the shower door open and carefully stepped inside. She aimed her left shoulder away from the water opting to let the water cascade over her injuries instead of letting the water pound on them.

Once she was satisfied that she had cleansed her body of the last 24 hours Beca turned off the water and pushed open the frosted glass door. She reached for her towel and began patting her face dry, then her chest and arms. She wrapped the large white cotton towel around her body securing it at her chest and walked out of her bathroom to find comfy clothes. The sight of Chloe laying on her bed flat on her back with her legs dangling off the end made her smile but she kept going. Her first stop was her dresser.

The sound of the water shutting off and the door opening woke Chloe before she had a chance to fully doze off to sleep. She heard Beca's footsteps through the room and the sound of a drawer being pulled open. "You don't have any food."

Beca winced.

"Actually that's not true" Chloe said as she pushed herself from the bed unto her elbows. "You do have food. But it's spoiled."

"Sorry" Beca apologized turning towards the redhead.

"It's pretty gross Becs." Chloe teased.

"I hadn't had time to go to the store." Beca mumbled as she turned back towards her dresser in search for some underwear.

"When was the last time you ate?" Chloe asked softly. She watched as Beca shrugged her shoulders in response.

Beca stepped into the openings in the underwear and pulled them up her legs and into place under the towel.

Chloe sighed and pushed herself to her feet. She followed Beca who had retreated into her closet. "You need to eat babe." Chloe quietly reprimanded. "I ordered pizza" she announced louder.

Beca bent down and pulled a large bag out from under the clothes that she had hanging. Chloe had been in Beca's closet once before, the first night she slept over at the firefighters, but she hadn't noticed the large back when she was looking through Beca's closet previously. "What's that?" She asked curiously.

Beca knelt down after re-securing the towel around her chest. She unzipped the bag, pushing items out of the way in search of something in particular. "My first set of PPE's." Beca said as she finally saw the white metal box. She pulled it out and zipped the bag then pushed it under the hanging clothes.

"PPE's?" Chloe asked as Beca stood.

Beca handed the white first aid kit to Chloe and then left the closet to return to her open dresser drawer.

"Gear." Beca answered. "A full set of turnout gear."

Chloe followed Beca out and back into the room. "Oh. Why is it here?" Chloe asked genuinely curious.

"We get a new set every five years." Beca finally found the bra she was looking for. It was the one that wouldn't touch the skin graft on her back. She slid it into place carefully letting the towel pool around her feet. "It was my first set and I wanted to keep it." She bent down to the second drawer and pulled out her grey LAFD sweatpants. She stepped into them and pulled them up around her waist. They fell slightly and hung perfectly off her hips.

"Sentimental." Chloe teased.

"It saved my ass more times than I can count." Beca smirked.

The smile fell from Chloe's face. She knew that was a true statement and she didn't really want to think about it let alone hear the details.

"So yeah, it's kind of special to me." Beca smiled as she approached the redhead who stood expressionless with the white box in her hands. Beca took it and laid it on her bed. She unlatched the metal clips and opened the lid. She pulled out several non-stick gauze pads and some tape before turning quickly back towards the bathroom. She reappeared seconds later with a tube in her hand. "Can you help me?" She asked.

"Yeah." Chloe said taking the tube in her hand.

"Here" Beca said pulling a pair of gloves from the kit. "Put one on. Then gently" Beca emphasized, "cover the burns on my arm with that cream. Then we can cover them. Then the one on my back."

Chloe nodded and followed Beca's instructions. As gently as she could she covered the nasty burns with the cream. She saw Beca's body tense as soon as the thick cream touched her exposed flesh. "Do I blow on it or something?" Chloe asked feeling instantly guilty for Beca being in pain in front of her.

"No"

She could hear the pain in Beca's voice. Beca had her hands clasped behind her back perfectly exposing the burn. Chloe looked down to see her knuckles white from gripping so hard to each other. She put another generous amount of cream on her finger and lightly brushed it over the wound. As soon as she finished she attached her lips to the back of Beca's neck. She felt a slight jump under her lips but Beca relaxed immediately when Chloe flattened her tongue against her skin. Chloe pulled back and repeated the action before covering the second burn in cream. This time she lightly bit down on Beca's right shoulder hoping to ease the pain she knew the brunette was feeling on her left side by redirecting it. She bent down to place kisses across the width of Beca's back. She avoided the large patch of grafted skin on Beca's left shoulder blade and swiped her tongue up Beca's neck. The brunette's head dropped to the side and Chloe took her earlobe in her mouth sucking gently. She pulled back letting it pop out of her mouth just after the doorbell rang.

"Pizza" She whispered.

Beca nodded. The brunette swallowed as she composed herself. She felt Chloe brush past her and out of the room. She heard the door open and she heard a friendly exchange at the door and then the door closing. The aroma filled the apartment and wafted itself into her room as Chloe quickly followed. She placed the pizza box down on top of Beca's comforter and was back at the firefighter's side in seconds. "I'm sorry. I know that hurt." Chloe said softly.

"You're much better at that than Stacie is." Beca found the strength to speak.

Chloe quirked an eyebrow. "I hope that's not how Stacie does it."

Beca shrugged teasingly and Chloe's mouth fell open. "Come on." Beca said, "Can you cover them so we can eat? That smells so good."

Chloe nodded and did as she was told. She circled around Beca again and followed her step by step instructions for placing the gauze and tape.

Soon they were settled on top of Beca's bed, a pizza box between them, as they ate in peaceful quite.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe's eyes fluttered open. She hadn't meant to fall asleep but she did. She glanced down towards where she felt the weight resting on her. She turned her head to the left looking at the brunette who was passed out with her head on left thigh, her face very close to Chloe's center. Chloe took a deep breath as she felt arousal coursing through her body at the sight of Beca's chosen napping place. She laid her head back down and glanced over to the clock. Her left hand nudged Beca's shoulder.

Beca nuzzled her head down.

The action sent a tingle through Chloe. "Beca" She said quickly. "Becs. Wake up."

As if she were doing it on purpose to drive Chloe crazy, Beca tried to borough her head further down into Chloe. Chloe felt Beca's hand land heavily on her crotch prompting her to roll quickly to her right to escape the sweet torture Beca was unintentionally inflicting on her.

Beca woke when her head was falling out of the air and landing hard on the bed. "What's happening?" She asked as she woke up dazed. She looked up across the bed to Chloe whose face was a little flushed. The red head was standing and smoothing out her shirt. "We fell asleep." Chloe rushed out as she tried to compose herself.

"Okay, well come back to bed." Beca said sweetly.

"I'm hungry." Chloe answered quickly.

"Hungry? We just ate a whole pizza like three hours ago." Beca argued groggily.

"No. You ate a whole pizza." Chloe reminded her. "We need to go to the grocery store and if I'm gonna spend the weekend here, I'd like to get some clothes from my house."

Beca lazily pushed herself up from the bed. "Okay well, if we're going out then can we swing by the firehouse so I can grab my stuff?"

"Yeah, sure" Chloe said happy to get out of that room so she could calm herself down. She wanted to talk to Beca. To have a serious talk about their relationship and where it may be headed and what they officially were to each other and she was determined to do that before they had sex again.

"Are you okay?" Beca asked pulling a t-shirt over her head as she followed Chloe out of the room.

"Yeah, I'm super good." Chloe said quickly.

"Okay?" Beca said skeptically as she followed Chloe out of the apartment.

"So? You're house, firehouse, grocery store?" Beca asked as she closed the door to her Jeep looking at a surprisingly disheveled redhead.

"Yep. Sounds good" Chloe said as she squeezed her thighs together.

 **XxXxXx**

It was a hard decision. She glanced from box to box unable to decide.

"Are you gonna pick one?" Chloe asked tired of standing on the cereal aisle.

"No" Beca said as she walked up to the shelf and grabbed one of each box. "It's too hard to commit to just one."

Chloe rolled her eyes and turned around quickly leaving Beca with both boxes in her hand and a half full shopping cart.

"What?" Beca called after her. She tossed the boxes into the cart and turned it quickly to follow Chloe. "I can't choose between Fruit Loops and Frosted Flakes Chlo. I need them both." Beca whined as she caught up with the red head on the next aisle. "Come on Chloe" Beca laughed. "I'm just kidding. I mean not about the cereal, seriously I could never just pick one."

Chloe turned quickly catching Beca by surprise.

Beca jerked the basket to a sudden stop.

"It's not just about the cereal Beca." Chloe snapped surprising herself. She froze for a second then turned and continued down the aisle. She heard the wheels of the cart begin again.

"Then what's it about?" Beca asked from behind her. "You've been acting weird since we left the house."

Chloe stopped and turned. It wasn't angry this time. This time it was in almost defeat. "First it was, 'wait here cuz I don't need any bullshit from the guys about you'" Chloe recalled Beca's words to her while they sat outside the firehouse. "Then it was 'just grab a couple of things Chlo cuz I don't have room for all of your stuff' and then 'I don't care which store we go to Chloe. I never go to the same one for a long time anyway. I like to change it up. Try new things. See what all the other stores have to offer. Most of the time they have better stuff, you know' and really Beca I don't know" Chloe ended her impression of the firefighter but continued ranting, "I don't care if people tease me about being with you and I wasn't trying to move in and I like going to the same store all the time. I'm not afraid of committing to one place or one cereal. Seriously Beca" Chloe said loudly "if you don't want to be my girlfriend, just say it."

"Oh my God" Beca smiled. She tried to fight it but the laugh that was building within her was too much to contain. It almost hurt as it finally escaped her chest.

"Great" Chloe mumbled. She turned and retreated again.

Beca abandoned the basket and quickly caught Chloe from behind. She wrapped her arms around her trying to stop her from walking any further. "Stop running away." Beca said between giggles.

"I'm not running." Chloe pouted as she felt Beca's arms squeeze around her tightly.

"Stop walking then and listen to me." Beca said softly in Chloe's ear.

Chloe stopped.

"I don't care if the guys at the firehouse wanted to tease me about you. Let them. I don't care" Beca whispered. "What I should have said because it's true is I didn't want them staring at you. And they would have because you're smoking hot Chloe. They would have looked. Hard. And that would have just pissed me off." Beca kissed Chloe's neck softly. "And you didn't need a lot of things Chloe. I don't plan on going out tomorrow at all and I don't plan on either of us wearing a lot of clothes but if you want to bring things to my place then I'll clear out a drawer and I'll make room in the closet baby."

Chloe felt her body relax. She felt her body begin to melt at the feeling of Beca's breath on her skin.

"And I'm sorry that I like to shop around a different stores. But I mean seriously I like to try new things and grocery stores seem to always stock the same old crap. And I think if you stop for a second and think about it, you might like to try new things with me too. Doing the same thing the same way every time isn't exciting." Beca pulled her arms from around Chloe's belly to her hips and turned the red head to face her.

Chloe's arms wrapped around Beca's neck.

"And in case you don't understand exactly what I mean I'm talking about sex" Beca said with an over enthusiastic wink earning a giggle from Chloe. "I don't need my girlfriend getting board in that department." Beca said seriously catching Chloe off guard.

"What?" Chloe questioned softly.

"Of course I want to be your girlfriend." Beca whispered as she rested her forehead against Chloe's. "I want to be with you."

"You do?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah. And I'm so sorry for all the shit I've pulled and the way I've made you feel."

Chloe pulled her arms from around Beca's neck to her cheeks. She pulled Beca's face towards hers softly kissing her. Chloe tried to escalate the kiss but Beca pulled back. "But I will not choose between Fruit Loops and Frosted Flakes Chloe. That's just ridiculous."

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe pushed her chair back from the table. "I've outdone myself." She announced proudly.

Beca smiled at her across the table. "I agree. It was excellent."

"Thanks baby" Chloe cooed as the blush crept its way up her face. She reached forward for her wine glass. "Want me to help you clean up?" She asked after she sipped the dark red wine.

"No. I got it. Cooks don't clean where I come from." Beca answered and Chloe suddenly remembered the same declaration the first time they ate together.

"So what can I do?" Chloe asked as she watched Beca make several trips back and forth from the table to the sink.

"Uhh" Beca said, "whatever you want."

"Mind if I go get ready for bed?" Chloe asked.

"No, go ahead." Beca answered without turning around from the sink. She heard the sound of the chair being pushed back towards the table and then she felt Chloe's lips on her cheek and then a soft pat to her butt.

"Don't be long." Chloe said as she walked out of the kitchen.

Beca tossed the dishtowel down on the counter. She stepped back to look at her work. She smiled at the spotless kitchen that 20 minutes ago was filled with the pots, pans, plates and utensils that Chloe used to make their dinner. "Beca, baby can you bring the wine?" She heard Chloe's voice from the direction of her bedroom.

"Yeah" Beca called back. She grabbed her glass and the bottle of wine from the counter and headed in the direction of the redhead. She finished the last bit in her glass before calling back to Chloe "so what do you want to do? Do you want to watch a movie or something?" Beca asked as she walked through of the hallway. "Cause I have Netflix but I don't really use it so" Beca stopped speaking as soon as she entered her bedroom. Her brain stopped functioning. She couldn't even remember what words were.

"Don't just stand there." Chloe said seductively. "Put those down and come over here."

Beca opened her hands and let both items fall to the floor. She heard the sound of her glass breaking against the wood floor and the sound of the wine bottle clanging around and eventually coming to a stop. She didn't care to look at the mess she made. It didn't matter all that mattered was what she couldn't tear her eyes from. All that mattered was what stood before her and why her eyes couldn't blink in fear of it being a hallucination that would evaporate in the blink of an eye.

"Come here" Chloe whispered.

Somehow her left foot moved forward and to her shock it was followed by her right. She couldn't tell how fast she was actually moving because to her it was in slow motion. Super slow motion. But it didn't matter. All that mattered was she was moving. Towards Chloe. Chloe who stood in front of her. Hair perfectly curled, raining down over her shoulders. Blue eyes gleaming in the low light of the room. Cheeks with a twinge of pink from the temperature that was rising. Soft red lips and dark smoky eye makeup. Before she knew it she was standing toe to toe with her. She glanced down at the redhead and then back up.

"This is hotter than I expected it to be." Chloe said softly. "I don't know how you can stand to be in this." Chloe looked down at herself and then nervously back up to Beca who hadn't said a word to her since entering the room. "Help me take it off?"

Beca's hands shook as she reached for the Velcro of her old turnout coat. The Velcro she had fastened so many times in the past. The Velcro she'd never seen from this point of view. The loud sound of it breaking apart filled the room. She pulled the collar back away from the redhead's neck, pushing her soft hair out of the way and went to work unclasping the large clips. Once she was at the bottom Beca opened the coat slowly as she looked back up into Chloe's blue eyes that had grown several shades darker. She pushed the protective jacket all the way open and let if fall off Chloe's shoulders and down her arms, landing on the floor around her feet. She felt the wetness pool between her legs as her eyes once again roamed Chloe's body. Beca had never been more thankful that she saved all of her old gear as she was at this very moment. She never thought she'd be slowly taking it off a beautiful redhead but here she was. Looking at Chloe who stood in her firefighter pants with red suspenders over her shoulders. The wide straps covering her nipples. Beca swallowed and took a deep breath as she raised her hands letting her palms come in to contact with Chloe's tight stomach. She slid them under the straps of the suspenders and up letting her palms cover Chloe's tits.

Chloe worked to control her breathing as Beca slowly undressed her. When she had the idea to take off all of her clothes and putting on Beca's old gear, she didn't think it would have this effect on the firefighter. She thought Beca would be turned on and take the clothes off of her quickly. But this. This slow discarding of the hot heavy gear was almost too much for her to bear. She wanted the firefighter all day and moving this slowly was not helping.

Beca slid the suspenders off Chloe's shoulders and let them fall to the side the way she would wear them after work. Beca's hands slid back down Chloe's chest and down her tight stomach to the top button of the heavy fire proof pants. She quickly undid it and immediately unzipped them. She held her gaze into Chloe's eyes as the pants fell down Chloe's legs. Beca bend slightly. She wrapped her right arm behind Chloe's knees and her left arm around her shoulders.

Chloe felt the air being sucked out of her lungs. Out of the room as she felt Beca effortlessly scoop her off her feet. Her arms automatically found themselves around Beca's neck as her feet came smoothly out of the bottom of the pants. She couldn't wait anymore. She pressed her mouth to Beca's. Her tongue met Beca's quickly as their lips found each other's repeatedly. Chloe felt herself being lowered to the bed as Beca crawl on top of her.

* * *

 **AN: Should we get dirty? LOL... Comments always welcome. Love to hear y'alls thoughts.**


	22. Chapter 21

Chloe's lips turned up slightly as she began to drift into consciousness. She took that first deep breath. The one that was her favorite. The first breath of a new day. Before she even opened her eyes. While her body was still waking itself up. Her hands reached down and pulled the soft cool sheet up over her chest as she slowly opened her eyes as she took stock of her body. She wiggled her toes and flexed her ankles back causing a gentle stretch in her calf muscles. The she squeezed her quads and felt the slight tightness and soreness in her hamstring. Chloe's smile grew a little larger as she remembered the reason her left leg was slightly sore this morning. It's not that she wasn't flexible but the position that she found herself in last night, her left straight up in the air with Beca pushing it back, opening her up, as she relentlessly licked her up and down and sucked her clit until she came and then cleaned up the mess she made until she came again, was an uncomfortable reminder of the night she had. Chloe continued up her body taking stock of the soreness. Her inner thighs, hips, abdomen all feeling the effects. She finally opened her eyes and turned her head to the left.

Beca was face down with her hands tucked up underneath the pillow she was laying on with her head turned facing Chloe. The white bed sheet lay haphazardly across her lower back, just above the swell of her ass. Chloe held the sheet close to her chest as she turned to lay on her left side to face the brunette. The smile fell from Chloe's face as she took stock of Beca's. Her face didn't look peaceful. Her eyebrows were gently pulled together. She looked pained. When her eyelids twitched violently Chloe scooted herself closer to Beca. She bent down and placed a soft kiss on Beca's bare right shoulder. She pulled her lips off Beca's skin just enough to be able to whisper "baby" softly before reattaching her lips again and again.

Beca groaned. She picked up her head and turned it to the other side dropping it heavily into her pillow. She felt the bed shift next to her and then she felt a surge of air under the sheet that hung off half of her body before some of it landed on her back. Beca opened her eyes and turned her head back around. "Where are you going?" She husked sleepily as she watched Chloe's naked body retreating from her bed. Chloe didn't answer but Beca watched her walk into the bathroom swinging the door closed behind her. After a minute Beca heard the sound of the toilet flushing and then water running. Beca waited a few seconds after hearing the bathroom door open to open her eyes. When she did she saw Chloe pulling her sweatpants up over her ass. "Why do you always steal my clothes?" Beca asked teasingly.

Chloe smiled as she turned around. "You didn't seem to mind at all last night" She winked seductively.

The image of Chloe in her firefighter PPE's filled her mind once again and she felt the same tingle she did last night between her legs.

Chloe walked towards the bed slowly, bare chested and in Beca's grey LAFD sweatpants.

Beca pushed herself up with her arms and turned her body quickly so that she was sitting up. The sheet fell to her lap leaving her just as exposed as the redhead that was slowly approaching her.

Chloe placed her palms on the bed and then her knee's. She crawled towards the firefighter, surging forward to catch Beca's lips between hers. Chloe's right hand landed on Beca's jaw. She felt Beca's arms around her waist pulling her on top of her. Pulling her on her lap. Chloe straddled the brunette quickly. Beca craned her neck up to the kneeling redhead whose tongue was licking the inside of her mouth wantonly. She felt Chloe's knee's squeeze around her hips as she down grinding into her. Beca pulled her mouth from Chloe's and found the redhead's chest. She licked down the tan skin until she found once of Chloe's nipples. She took the sensitive bud in her mouth after circling it with her tongue. Chloe's head fell backwards. "Fffuuckk" she moaned as Beca tried to pull her closer.

"I'm trying" Beca teased with a smirk as she looked up at the teacher who's head snapped back down.

The amused look on Beca's face was just enough to break the mood. Chloe's hands found Beca's shoulders and pushed herself way from the firefighter. "Where are you going?" Beca asked as Chloe scooted off the bed. She dug through her bag quickly finding a white v-neck and throwing it on.

"I'm gonna make breakfast." Chloe said happily.

"Are you going to bring it to me in bed?" Beca asked.

"No. You're going to have to get your sweet ass out of bed if you want breakfast." Chloe giggled.

"But" Beca started to whine.

"Sorry baby." Chloe said as she practically bounded out of the room.

Beca had actually laid back down after Chloe left the room. She almost fell asleep even though she could smell the coffee and then she could smell the bacon but when she heard the music is when she couldn't possibly rest anymore. Beca climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and washed her face and hands. She tied her hair up loosely before heading to her closet. She found her favorite pair of comfortable jeans and pulled them on. They were worn in all the right places and hung slightly off her hips. Beca grabbed her bra from the floor where it was discarded at some point last night and a shirt from her dresser. By the time she made it to the kitchen her bra was on and she was working on pulling the shirt down over her head.

Chloe's hips were swaying rhythmically to the song that was playing. Beca quietly walked into the kitchen so she wouldn't interrupt the free show she was getting. Chloe was in her own world singing and dancing and cooking. She was whisking the pancake batter swiftly when she felt hands circle around to her stomach.

"Jesus Becs" She said startled.

"Sorry" Beca mumbled as she kissed the side of Chloe's neck.

"Mhh hmm" Chloe replied as she went back to whisking.

"You're so sexy" Beca mumbled between kisses. Her hands moving up Chloe's chest slowly. Chloe had chosen not to put on a bra this morning so Beca's palms quickly found her breasts.

"Baby" Chloe groaned. "I'm cooking."

"Please Chloe" Beca begged. "I want you."

Chloe's eyes closed quickly and her heart sped up. She placed the bowl and whisk down on the counter loudly as her hands found the counter bracing herself as she felt her knees begin to weaken. Beca smiled against Chloe's skin as one of her hands drifted down around Chloe's waist. She stepped back and pulled Chloe's hips backwards with her leaving the teacher bent over the counter.

"Shit" Chloe moaned as she worked to catch her breath.

Chloe felt Beca's hands leave her body. She turned to investigate the action but was forcefully pushed down against the counter. A second later she felt the cotton pants quickly pulled down from her hips and Beca's foot pushing her left leg away from the right effectively spreading her legs.

"You want me to fuck you?" Beca asked her voice thick with desire.

"Yes" Chloe was able to whisper.

"Say it" Beca demanded.

"Fuck me" Was Chloe's immediate request. She didn't have to wait long as Beca plunged her fingers into her roughly.

Beca didn't waste any time. She quickly went to work slamming her fingers into Chloe who had begun pushing her hips back to meet Beca's palm that was slapping against her. Beca relinquished her hold on Chloe's waist in favor of bracing herself against the counter. She could feel Chloe's body reacting to her. The wetness that was seeping out of the redhead, the tightening of Chloe's walls with each thrust but somewhere along the way Beca heard a voice in her head. One she wanted to forget. One she shouldn't be hearing saying words that were disgusting and disrespectful to her girlfriend.

"Wha" Chloe moaned, "What's wrong?" She panted.

Beca's body had stilled. The words Luke spoke were running rampant through her head. The reason she punched the man in his face.

"Beca?" Chloe said breathless as she looked over her shoulder.

Beca's dark eyes met Chloe's. She stepped back dropping both hands to her side.

Chloe turned. "What's wrong?" She asked nervously. She'd seen this look in Beca's eyes before. It wasn't one she liked to see but she saw it the morning after she slept with Luke when they ran into the brunette in the coffee shop. "Beca."

Beca stopped as her back hit the counter behind her. "I ah" Beca began. "I'm sor sorry" she stuttered out.

Chloe reached down and pulled the sweatpants back up quickly as she took steps to close the distance between them. Her hands found Beca's chest. She could feel how fast Beca's heart was beating beneath her chest. "You're scaring me a little bit." Chloe whispered.

Those words seemed to snap Beca out of her trance. She shook her head slightly. "I'm sorry. I don't know." She stopped and didn't finish the sentence because she did know. She knew exactly what happened. She knew exactly what made her stop.

"Beca" Chloe said louder. "What's wrong?"

"I just remembered something" Beca said as she looked down at the ground.

"What?" Chloe asked suddenly nervous. She had been surprised when Beca came into the kitchen this morning like she did. Surprised by the way she was being handled. Surprised that she liked it but for whatever reason Beca stopped it just as abruptly as she started it. "Do you have to leave or something?" Chloe asked.

"No" Beca answered.

"Then what did you remember?" Chloe asked genuinely confused.

Beca stood for a second contemplating her next move. She could lie. She could make something up. She could avoid it at all costs the way she used to do in her relationships. Avoid, deflect and reject. That was the pattern. Or she could tell Chloe the truth. She could trust the redhead. She could open herself up. She could risk it. Beca swallowed hard as she decided. "The night of the party."

"What party?" Chloe asked quickly as her hands found Beca's jaw.

Beca's hands latched onto Chloe's wrists holding her hand's in place. "The night I punched Luke."

"Yeah?" Chloe whispered as she held onto Beca's face gently trying to comfort her upset girlfriend.

"He said something to me." Beca replied looking back up into Chloe's eyes.

Chloe felt her stomach drop. The sight of Luke leaning forward and whispering something in Beca's face caused Beca's fists to immediately clench before she cracked his nose open. She stood silent waiting for Beca to continue because she was too afraid to ask.

"He told me you liked it hard and rough." Beca admitted. As soon as it was out she felt much better. She didn't know why but the words didn't weigh her down anymore. "And I was just." She stopped.

Chloe was completely embarrassed and ashamed of herself. She looked down as Beca stopped speaking.

"We were just" Beca stopped again. "Why can't I say this?" She said to herself then looked back to Chloe who she could tell was internally retreating. "I'm sorry. I'm screwing this up."

"No" Chloe whispered. "I'm sorry that you had to hear that." She looked back up meeting Beca's eyes. "That's not how it happened with me and him. It was just once. I'd had a few drinks and"

"You really don't have to explain." Beca interrupted her.

"I think I should." Chloe replied. "Can we go sit down?"

Beca dropped one of Chloe's wrists. She slid her other hand up into the redhead's and led her to the sofa. Each woman sat sideways facing each other.

"I was upset and Aubrey thought it would be a good idea for us to get out of the house. We met up with Luke and Jessica at"

"Why were you upset?" Beca interrupted her.

"Because we fought. Kind of." Chloe answered. "It was right after it was first announced that it was arson. And you didn't seem to care. You"

"Pushed you away." Beca finished for her.

"I was going to say that you were trying to protect me." Chloe smiled softly. "So we went out and I had a few drinks and Luke was there." Chloe admitted. "It wasn't the best decision I've ever made but I went home with him and we did sleep together. But it wasn't like that" Chloe felt her cheeks redden. "It was just" She paused thinking of how to say the next part, "just regular. And not very good."

"Please don't continue" Beca begged. "I don't want to picture it any more than I already am."

"Baby." Chloe said softly. She reached forward and slowly placed her hand on Beca's knee. "I am so sorry for that morning in the coffee shop. I know that hurt you and never wanted to hurt you."

"You didn't" Beca replied quickly as she deflected.

"I know it did. I could see it in your face." Chloe replied.

"I'm sorry." Beca apologized. "I'm not so good at this."

"At what?" Chloe asked carefully.

Beca shrugged. "Talking about stuff. I usually don't bother. Not that I've been in a relationship with someone for like" Beca looked up at the ceiling briefly. "It's been a while since I've been in a proper relationship with anyone. I don't ever let it get that far." She admitted.

"Why?" Chloe asked.

"They didn't seem worth it." Beca replied. "But I think you're worth it. If I don't fuck this up." She laughed at herself.

"I think you're worth it too baby." Chloe cooed. She leaned forward and kissed Beca's cheek softly before she pulled back and returned to her place on the sofa. "I think you're so worth it that it actually scares the shit out of me." Chloe admitted. "I'm so afraid to lose you. So afraid that you'll get hurt or worse." Chloe paled at the thought. "Maybe it's crazy but I think that you and I could make it. Like long term." Chloe blushed again. "But honestly Beca we won't make it to next week if we don't talk to each other."

"I know." Beca agreed. "I just don't know how."

"You seem to be really good at talking to Jesse." Chloe said trying not to sound jealous. "Maybe you could try to talk to me like I'm him."

"Eww. No" Beca said quickly. "That's like dude talk." She argued. "Not that I'm a dude but it's definitely not girl talk cuz he's not a girl but it's like I don't know. I would never talk to you like that."

"But you open up to him." Chloe added. "You trust him."

"I do." Beca admitted.

"Do you trust me?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah." Beca answered weakly. "I do but you know. You're not Jesse."

Chloe sighed. "I'm not. But you can trust me Becs. I" Chloe stopped. She knew she shouldn't say what was about to fall out of her mouth. "I want you to trust me because I trust you. With my life."

"I know Chlo. I'm do and I'm trying okay. I'm just afraid that once all of this starts back up again we will be right where we left off." Beca replied.

"Which is?" Chloe asked.

"Me at work and you freaking out. Me worrying about you freaking out. Me pushing you away for freaking out." Beca answered honestly.

"What you do" Chloe sighed again. "Is who you are." She felt her eyes begin to fill with tears. "And I'm so proud of you Beca. So proud to call you my friend. And unbelievably proud to say that you're my girlfriend. And of course I'm going to worry about you. I care for you Beca. So much. More than you know so I'm going to worry because you have a dangerous job. When I go to work you probably don't think anything of it right?" She asked rhetorically.

Beca shook her head at the question and let Chloe continue.

"But the day we had a fire alarm you showed up. It wasn't even your call but you were worried. That's what happened to me at the hotel. I showed up because I was worried. And I know I can't do that and I promise you I'll work on it. I'll get a better handle on my feelings but this is still pretty knew to me too. I just need you to be patient with me. So I can figure it out." Chloe requested. "Can you be patient with me?"

"Yeah" Beca answered. "I'm sorry about earlier. I don't know what came over me. I just saw you in the kitchen and I didn't mean to be so rough. That's not" Beca blushed and looked away.

"I know" Chloe replied. "But it's fine Beca. I trust you." She tried to catch Beca's glance. "Hey"

Beca looked up.

"I trust you." Chloe repeated. "With all of me." She whispered as she began to lean forward.

Beca leaned forward to meet her halfway. She kissed Chloe softly massaging the redhead's bottom lip with her tongue. Chloe moaned into Beca's mouth. She laced her fingers into Beca's hair meeting her finger tips in the back as she pulled Beca's face closer to her until they tumbled backwards onto the couch. Beca settled between Chloe's legs as she continued kissing the redhead softly. Chloe's hands left Beca's head and moved down the side of her body to her lower back. She lightly scratched her nails on Beca's skin as she wrapped her legs tightly around the firefighter's hips. Chloe broke her lips away from Beca's. "Why are you wearing jeans?" She moaned frustratingly as she tried to slip her hands down the back of the pants. Beca smiled and adjusted her hips to allow Chloe's hands to easily slide into her pants. She pulled Chloe's bottom lip into her mouth and felt the redhead smile when she didn't find the barrier of underwear in her way. Beca shifted her weight to her right arm that lay beside Chloe's head. She slid her hand down an under the waistband of the sweatpants and straight to Chloe's center. This time she gently rubbed her hand down the length of Chloe's slit and slowly back up adding slight pressure. She continued as she worked the redhead back up slowly.

"Please" Chloe begged softly. "Touch me"

Beca slipped one finger into her wet folds before slowly circling Chloe's clit.

Chloe pulled her right hand from Beca's ass and reached between them this time sliding effortlessly into the front of Beca's jeans. "Oh God" Chloe moaned into Beca's mouth as she felt how wet Beca was. "You're so wet."

Beca moaned at Chloe's words. She was and she needed relief. Her hips grinded down into Chloe's fingers in search of what she needed. Chloe slipped two fingers into Beca curling them up in search of the spongy spot she found last night. Beca's hips worked in rhythm with Chloe's fingers as her built towards release.

"Cum with me" Chloe requested with her forehead on Beca's.

Beca nodded in response as she worked her hand in and out of Chloe with the same pace Chloe kept with her. Beca's mouth fell. She kissed softly and breathed heavily on the soft skin of Chloe's neck as they both build up to climax.

"Don't stop baby" Chloe begged as her hips began to jolt erratically.

Beca continued. She put her weight down with each thrust into Chloe feeling Chloe's walls tighten around her fingers.

"Please baby please" Chloe begged sending Beca straight over the edge.

Beca's body became ridged as the orgasm ripped through her. She felt a similar response a second later from Chloe.

* * *

 **AN: More action coming your way soon ...**


	23. Chapter 22

The sound of knocked jolted her awake. She felt Beca try to sink down further into her when the knocking started back up again after a couple seconds of silence.

"Becs" Chloe whispered. "Someone's at the door."

Beca groaned. "Ignore it." Beca replied. "Go back to sleep."

"I don't think they are going to stop till you answer the door." Chloe said as the knocking grew in frequency and heaviness.

"Mother fucker" Beca growled as she pushed herself off Chloe. "I was comfortable damn it." She cursed as she stomped towards the door.

Chloe sat up as soon as Beca got off her. She adjusted her clothing so that it was appropriate for visitors and tried to work her hands through her hair hoping it didn't just give off the just fucked and fell asleep look.

"Finally" Stacie huffed just as Beca opened the door.

Beca rolled her eyes in response as Stacie rushed past her not waiting for the invitation to enter.

"It's almost noon. Why are you still asleep?" Stacie asked as she walked through the apartment and into the living room. "Oh. Hi. Chloe." She said seeing the redhead sitting on the couch.

Chloe turned around. "Hi" She greeting happily.

Beca followed slowly behind Stacie. She pushed her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "What's up Stace?" She asked with a yawn.

"Have you seen this?" Stacie asks waiving the newspaper in front of her.

"No. We were asleep." Beca replied.

"I can see that." Stacie smirked.

Chloe was suddenly aware that she was in Beca's sweatpants, which wasn't that big of a deal, but she also wasn't wearing a bra. She stood quietly and moved towards Beca. "I'll be right back." She whispered to the firefighter before leaning and placing a kiss on Beca's cheek.

Beca nodded in response as Chloe walked past her and towards her room.

"So?" Stacie said quietly once Chloe was out of earshot. "Looks like you guys made up."

Beca pulled her hands out of her pocket and walked around the couch, sitting in the space Chloe just vacated. She shrugged in response. "What is that?" She asked reaching for the newspaper in Stacie's hand.

Stacie unfolded it and handed it over to her friend. She didn't need to point to the headline at the top but she did anyway. "Did you know Luke was at 10-70 that night?"

"No" Beca said as she looked at the picture. It was taken from inside the bar the night of the fire. She knew that because she could see her and Jesse sitting in their usual places at the bar and she was wearing one of her favorite flannel shirts. The one she gave Chloe to stuff under the door to stop the smoke. The one she made Chloe cover her face with. The one she hadn't seen since that night. "That picture doesn't mean Luke was there Stace. He could have gotten that picture of anyone that was there that night. Maybe it's from Instagram or Facebook or something." Beca mumbled.

"Yeah, I guess that's true." Stacie frowned. She hadn't thought of that. "But still. What is this guy's problem?" She said pointing to the headline.

"Hidden Hills Arsonist Strikes Again." Beca read the headline out loud. She felt Chloe's presence enter the room. She felt the redhead lean over the back of the couch and over her shoulder as she continued reading the article.

"10-70. Ever heard of it? Most likely you haven't, unless you're a member of the first responders club here in Hidden Hills. The bar that sits nestled away downtown has been the go to place for firefighters and police officers in this town for over 20 years. 10-70 after all is the police code for a fire in progress so not many citizens without access to one of the brave men and women of HHPD or LAFD frequent this establishment. And now that the bar has been burnt to the ground in an explosion, most likely tied to the recent arson activities in Hidden Hills, our finest firefighters and police officers will have to find another place to drink away their sorrows and argue about whose better in the ultimate pissing contest. The explosion killed 11 people and placed several others in critical condition including a teacher from Hidden Hills Academy even though they were surrounded by people trained to save their lives. Are we safe from this arsonist? If they can strike in the very place that is concentrated with hero's who are helpless to save us, who do we turn to next? The police can't catch him and the fire department can't save us. God help us all." Beca read. She felt Chloe's hand gently rest on her right shoulder.

"He's just doing his job" Beca replied stoically.

"His job?" Stacie argued loudly. "He basically called us incompetent Beca. The community isn't going to trust us. And he made it sound like only civilian's died in that explosion. Three cops and two firefighter's died. We did everything we could possibly do and he's pretty much just taking a shit on us on the front page of the newspaper. How can you not be pissed off about this?" Stacie asked angrily.

"Who said I'm not?" Beca argued looking up at her tall friend. "My best friend is in the hospital because of whoever is doing this."

"I'm talking about being pissed at Luke." Stacie argued loudly.

"I don't give a shit about Luke." Beca replied quickly. "He can write whatever he wants to write."

"What's wrong with you?" Stacie asked quickly.

Beca didn't answer.

"This is bullshit Beca and you know it." The paramedic said as she ripped the paper out of Beca's hands. "Where was the front page article praising the fire department from saving everyone from the hotel fire?" Stacie asked rhetorically. "It was on the 6th page. Not a headline. You risked your life and no one cared."

"It's my job Stacie." Beca answered quietly. "I don't need or want any attention for it."

Stacie didn't seem to notice Beca's comment and if she did she definitely wasn't going to acknowledge it. "Why aren't you pissed about this? You give him a free pass to write whatever shit he wants to write? Why? Because you stole his girlfriend?"

"Dude" Beca said loudly.

Chloe stood up straight. She pulled her hand from Beca's shoulder.

"That is so out of bounds." Beca said looking at her friend. "The two things don't have anything to do with the other."

Chloe cleared her throat. "I'm going to go clean up in the kitchen." She said and quickly retreated. Breakfast had long been forgotten about after Beca interrupted her this morning but the mess still remained.

Beca turned to watch Chloe leave before turning back to Stacie. "What the fuck?"

"What? It's true." Stacie replied simply.

"That is such bullshit Stacie. He's a reporter. Headlines like this make bigger news than ones that don't end in tragedy. We don't do this job so people can write articles about us. You know that." Beca sighed. "So why don't you tell me what your real problem is in this? Are you jealous? Of Chloe?" She whispered.

"Fuck you Beca" Stacie spat. She turned quickly and began leaving the room but stopped abruptly and turned back towards Beca. "Have you seen Jesse? Or are you two busy playing house with your new girlfriend?"

Beca watched Stacie leave the room and seconds later she heard her front door slam.

"She doesn't like me much does she?" Beca heard Chloe's sad voice from behind her.

Beca leaned forward and placed her elbows on her knees. She dropped head in her hands and rubbed her eyes.

"It's not you. She's just angry." Beca mumbled. "Shit. I don't know why she would say that. I'm sorry if it upset you."

"She loves you." Chloe stated plainly.

Beca turned to look over her shoulder. She hadn't realized that Chloe was aware of Stacie's feelings towards her.

"It's pretty obvious Beca." The redhead shrugged.

Beca turned back away from Chloe choosing to ignore the subject. "That was a pretty fucked up article." Beca felt the couch dip next to her.

"What's the deal with you and him?" Chloe asked.

"What do you mean?" Beca responded.

"Jessica told me that you guys have some sort of history. So?" Chloe turned towards Beca slightly.

"It was a long time ago." Beca answered quickly hoping Chloe would drop it.

"Did you guys like?" Chloe asked cringing.

"Did we what?" Beca asked obliviously.

Chloe's eyes widened hoping that Beca would catch on so she wouldn't have to say it.

"Oh!" Beca realized. "No. Absolutely not."

Chloe felt relief. That would have been weird.

"How much do you know about Luke?" Beca asked quickly.

Chloe once again felt dirty. She'd slept with him and didn't know much more than the general information. He was a writer for the paper, Jessica's brother and apparently Beca's arch enemy. "Not much" She mumbled.

"Luke is Jessica's half-brother." Beca revealed.

"What?" Chloe asked in shock.

"They have the same father." Beca said as Chloe listened intently. "Luke's mother was the other woman. Hidden Hills can be a pretty small town and it was hard for them. I remember when we were kids, he was always in and out of school. They moved around a lot because Jess's dad didn't like the reminder of his mistakes parading around in his own back yard I guess. The last time I saw Luke was right before my freshman year in high school. A group of us met up one night up in Bell Canyon. Luke and his friends were there. We were acquaintances from school but at that time I think Luke and his mom were living over in Tarzana. But we all hung out that night drinking and doing the stupid shit kids do. My neighbor at the time was my best friend. Her name was Anna. She was a couple years older than me." Beca's face began to fall as she recalled her childhood.

Chloe immediately noticed that Beca referred to Anna in the past tense.

"God" Beca sighed. "I had the biggest school girl crush on her. Of course she had no idea. She and Luke had a few too many beers and had been pretty close all night. Anyway she wanted to leave but we didn't have a ride cuz we went with a group and they weren't ready to go but Luke offered to take her. I had called my dad to come and pick us up but before he got there she got in the car with Luke. I tried but I couldn't stop her. Luke of course told me to back off and let her make her own decisions. I knew I shouldn't have let her go but I was just a kid."

Chloe interrupted her. "How old were you?" She asked for clarification.

"I had just turned 14." Beca answered. "Anyway. Nobody really knows what happened. They left the party in Luke's piece of shit car and the next thing we hear is the sounds of the tires screeching and then metal scratching pavement. We ran down the road to the car but it was already too late. It had flipped and she was trapped inside. Luke had been thrown out because he wasn't wearing his seatbelt. Anna was. The fire spread so quickly and then all of a sudden the car just blew. My dad got there right before the Canyon Fire Department but she was gone." Beca sadly recalled.

"I'm so sorry Beca" Chloe whispered softly.

Beca shrugged. "It was a long time ago. After Luke got out of the hospital his mom and him moved. With everything that happened it was too much for her. They went to London. That's why he has a bit of an accent now. I guess you can pick those things up." Beca sighed again. "I had heard he moved back about a year or so ago. When I saw him at Stacie's party a couple months ago, I didn't even recognize him."

"Weren't you 14 when your dad" Chloe asked

"When my dad died?" Beca interrupted her. "Yeah. It was a pretty shitty year."

"So that's why you and Luke don't like each other" Said more than asked but Beca took it as a question.

"It's not that I don't like Luke. What happened with Anna was horrible but it was an accident. It could have been prevented and if I would have just kept her from leaving with him she wouldn't have died in that car." Beca said sadly. "He reminds me of a time when I wasn't confident. I wasn't strong enough to keep her from leaving with him. I let him talk down to me and I didn't stand up to him. That's why when he said what he said about you, I just couldn't listen to that crap. I lost it."

"Baby" Chloe said reaching across to push a strand of hair out of Beca's face. "You were 14 years old. Nobody at 14 is confident about much of anything. Trust me. I work with teenagers." She said hoping to earn at least a small smile from the firefighter. "And you're the strongest person I know Beca. You're amazing." Chloe cooed.

 **XxXxXx**

The next morning Chloe walked out of Beca's bathroom with her head tilted to the right as she fumbled with her earring.

"Good Lord Miss. Beale" Beca teased. "You are one super sexy teacher."

Chloe winked at the complement. She bent down and pulled her black heels from her bag. "Where are you going?" She asked noticing Beca sitting on the end of her bed in her blue slacks and white button up shirt. "I thought you were suspended or whatever." Chloe said as she slipped her heels on.

"I'm meeting up with the Investigator that's coming up for LA." Beca said watching Chloe get ready.

"Oh. What are you meeting up with him for?" Chloe asked.

"I'm meeting her to assist with the investigation." Beca clarified. "It was the only thing Chief would let me do other than sit here on my ass all day." Beca stood and crossed the room. She placed her hands on Chloe's hips. She licked her lips as she looked down at Chloe's white blouse with the top two buttons undone, tucked tightly into her black pencil shirt.

"So what will you two be doing?" Chloe asked.

"Don't know." Beca leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Chloe's neck. "It's my first investigation."

"I see" Chloe replied trying not to get too worked up as Beca's lips worked over her neck. "Will I see you tonight?" She whispered.

"If you want" Beca replied as she pulled away before softly kissing Chloe's lips.

The teacher pulled away. "Then I'll call you when I'm done with school?" She asked looking into Beca's dark navy eyes.

"Sounds good." Beca said adding one more kiss before backing up and then turning to walk out of the room.

Chloe followed behind her, "You look so hot in that uniform." She called up to the brunette in front of her as she followed her out of the apartment and down the steps. Beca walked Chloe to her car and kissed her goodbye before tossing her bag in the back of her Jeep. She watched Chloe backup and pull away. Beca pulled the paper with the name and number that Chief gave her at the hospital two days ago. She typed the number into her phone and held it to her ear. She listened to it ring three time.

"Hello?" The woman answered.

"Um. Hi" Beca replied. "I'm looking for Mrs. Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberg." Beca said shaking her head at the ridiculous name.

"Well, you found her." The woman replied.

"Right." Beca rolled her eyes. "I'm Lieutenant Beca Mitchell from LAFD House 72 in Hidden Hills."

"Oh, yeah. Chief Smith told me to expect your call." She replied.

"Yes ma'am." Beca answered.

"I'm driving in from LA right now and should be at the location of the first fire in" She paused as she looked at her GPS. "25 or so minutes. Can you meet me there?"

"Yes ma'am." Beca answered. The short call ended and Beca started up her jeep deciding upon grabbing coffee at her favorite coffee shop before meeting up with the investigator.

* * *

 **AN: Hey guys. Sorry this is so much shorter than my other entries to this story. I've been a little under the weather and this was all I had written but I wanted to get it out to stay on my regular posting schedule. So tell me what you're thinking...**


	24. Chapter 23

"Hello?"

Chloe turned towards her classroom door at the sound of the new voice. "Hi" She responded cheerfully.

"I wanted to introduce myself. I'm the substitute for Mr. Evans. I'm Carly Campbell." The blonde said extending her arm as she approached Chloe.

Chloe took the hand quickly. "Chloe Beale. So nice to meet you." Chloe greeted. "So you're a math sub?"

"Math and English actually." Carly clarified.

"Have you taught here before?" Chloe asked.

"A few times last year but I'm usually filling in a public schools. There's tons more teachers that call out in public." She replied. "I'd love to be here full time." She leaned in to whisper.

Chloe didn't understand why that would have to be kept quiet but she didn't say anything.

"I don't remember you from last year. Are you new?" Carly asked.

"Yes. I just started here at the beginning of the school year." Chloe answered.

"Oh, where are you from?" The math sub asked.

Chloe was about to answer but a knock on her door stopped her. She peered around Carly who turned to see who was at the door. Chloe couldn't contain her smile.

"Hi" Beca said nervously. "I hope I'm not interrupting like teacher planning or whatever?"

"You're not" Chloe giggled. "But I didn't think I'd be seeing you so soon."

"I could leave" Beca teased quickly. "I mean I can give this caramel latte with a splash of vanilla for Chloe" She read the writing on the cup that she held in front of her, "to someone else."

"I'll take it" Carly said excitedly.

"I'll just let you two figure it out." Beca said as she walked in the classroom setting the coffee down on Chloe's desk.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Carly, this is my girlfriend Beca." She smiled as she introduced Beca to the substitute teacher. "Carly is the sub filling in for Tom."

"Hi" Beca replied with an awkward wave.

"What are you doing here babe?" Chloe said softly as she made her way past Carly who stood watching them. "I thought you were meeting the investigator from LA."

"I am. She asked me to meet her across the street and I had some time so I thought I'd bring you coffee." Beca answered.

"That's sweet of you." Chloe cooed.

"Don't get used to it Beale." Beca winked.

"And what if I do?" Chloe teased.

The bell sounded loudly. Beca looked up immediately as if she would be able to see the apparatus that was responsible for creating the loud noise. "I should go." She whispered to the art teacher. "I'll call you later?"

Chloe bit her bottom lip as she nodded affirmatively.

"It was nice to meet you" Beca said to Carly.

"You too" Carly replied quickly.

Chloe closed the space between them meeting Beca's lips briefly. "Be careful." She whispered as she pulled back.

Beca smiled as kids began to fill the hallway behind her. "Bye."

Chloe watched Beca walk out of the room and into the hallway.

"She's a cutie." Carly said as she walked towards the door. "It was really nice to meet you Chloe."

Chloe didn't have time to answer. Students were piling into her room and Carly was gone before she knew it.

The sun hit Beca's face as soon as she pushed open the doors to the school. She walked down the walkway and across the street to the day care. It was the first time she had been back to the daycare since the fire. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander back to that day. She remembered jumping out of the firetruck and racing around to the side of the building looking for a way in. Beca snapped back to the present and let her feet take her down the same path she traveled that day. She made it to the window that had been blown out before they got there. The window she entered the daycare from. Beca leaned in over the ledge slowly. After her eyes focused in the dark room she looked from side to side. The police released the scene a week after the fire but it looked as if the owner had not taken any steps to clean up the property.

"Lieutenant Mitchell?"

Beca leaned out of the building and turned towards the voice. "Yes ma'am" She replied quickly feeling as if she'd been caught doing something wrong.

"Investigator Gail Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberg" The blonde woman said holding out her hand.

"Yes ma'am" Beca replied reaching out to shake the investigator's hand. "Nice to meet you ma'am."

"Oh God please." Gail frowned. "You're making me feel old. And trust me my two ex-husbands who left me for 20 year olds got that covered."

"Um" Beca didn't know how to respond. "Okay"

"So this is the first location?" Gail said looking up at the building. "A day care really? I mean I read it in the report but it's hard to actually believe someone would do this on purpose."

"Yeah" Beca agreed.

"Have you been inside yet?" Gail asked.

"No. I haven't." Beca answered.

"Well what are we waiting for?" The investigator asked. She turned quickly and walked back around the front of the building.

"I've never actually done this before." Beca said loudly as she followed the blonde woman who stopped abruptly.

"You haven't?" Gail turned to ask. "Why would they assign me a rookie? What exactly to you do?"

"I um, I kind of volunteered. It was either this or sit at home on restricted duty. But I'm Lieutenant in charge of Squad 61 House 72." Beca replied.

"You volunteered?" Gail repeated.

"Yes ma'am" Beca responded quietly.

"Great. So this is one step up from sitting at home staring at the wall for you?"

"That's not what I meant." Beca said awkwardly. "I just meant that it would be better for me if"

"It doesn't matter." Gail interrupted. "We've got several sights to see and I can tell that I'm going to have to teach you everything." She sighed as she turned and began walking again. "First rule. Don't touch anything. If you see something suspicious take a picture before you move it. We are looking for similarities. Something that we can track. Maybe a common device or a common accelerant. Something we can get a forensic trace on. And possibly, hopefully trace back to an individual."

"I though HHPD already did forensics at the scenes?" Beca questioned as she followed.

"Well they obviously didn't do a good enough job. Which is why I'm here. I'm still not sure why you're here." She said sarcastically as she opened the door to the building.

 **XxXxXx**

"Good morning Nurse Posen" Jesse eyes twinkled as the blonde made her way into his room.

Aubrey narrowed her gaze at him. "No." She said sternly.

"No?" Jesse repeated.

"You heard me. No. Absolutely not." Aubrey replied emphatically.

He pushed himself up in his hospital bed. "You don't even know what I was about to ask you."

Aubrey crossed the room quickly. She placed the blood pressure cuff on his arm and the hard plastic ear pieces in her ears. It didn't block out his voice but she wanted to give off the appearance that she couldn't hear him. Her hand quickly squeezed and released the inflation bulb.

Jesse ducked his head to meet her green eyes. "It may be a little high." He smiled. "With you standing so close to me and all."

Her eyes immediately rolled.

"I know you can hear me" He said as she reacted to his previous comment.

Aubrey placed the cold metal drum of the stethoscope over his artery and slowly released the air valve watching the manometer and listening to the beats. "111 over 65" She said as she quickly released the cuff from around his arm.

"Go out with me. On a date." He asked again for what felt like the thousandth time since he'd been in the hospital.

"No Jesse." Aubrey replied.

"Why not?" He asked stubbornly.

"We don't have anything in common." Aubrey replied.

"I can think of something we have in common. Something we really enjoy doing together." He wiggled his eye brows.

"You obviously still have a concussion and are delusional." She replied. "Actually the delusions probably aren't related to your head injury at all."

"What's the real reason?" He asked. "Why won't you go out with me?"

Aubrey sighed. "What happened between us" She paused. "I had a good time. But I think it's best if we just leave it at that Jesse." She said softly, pleading for him to drop it.

"You'll change your mind." He said with mischief in his eyes.

"Hmm" She grunted. "I'll be back this afternoon." Aubrey said just before leaving his room after performing all her necessary morning tests.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe pulled her phone from her bag after making it back into her classroom from car pick up line duty. She quickly found Beca's contact name and placed the call.

"Hey" Beca answered.

Chloe could hear the wind noise on the other end of the line so she knew Beca was driving. "Hey. I'm just finishing up here."

"Yeah? How was your day?" Beca asked.

"Good." Chloe chirped happily. "What's going on with you? Are you still working?" She asked hoping Beca was also done with work for the day.

"No" Beca replied quickly. "I'm heading back over to the warehouse."

Chloe listened as Beca ranted.

"I swear this freaking lady is nut balls. She has drug me to all the freaking fires today multiple times and now we're going back to the warehouse. I mean shit, I want to find this person as bad as anyone but we didn't find anything the first two times we were there. What in the hell makes her think we will find something the third?"

"I'm sorry babe. But maybe she has a way she works or something. I mean she probably knows what she's doing right?" Chloe said trying to sound positive.

"She's a weirdo." Beca replied quickly. "I think this is our last stop. I hope. I'll call you when I'm done. Maybe we can go out for dinner or something?" Bea asked.

"Yeah. Sounds great." Chloe replied happily. "I think I'll head over to the hospital and check on Tom."

Beca hesitated. She didn't know what exactly it was about that that made her feel uneasy. "Oh. Okay"

"Is that okay?" Chloe asked hearing something unfamiliar in Beca's voice.

"I just" Beca stopped. "It's fine. If that's what you want to do."

"Beca" Chloe whispered.

"I gotta go." Beca said hanging up her phone. She toggled down putting the phone on silent and opened her glove box. She tossed the device in and closed it quickly.

"So what are we looking for?" She asked the approaching investigator as she slammed her door.

"There is no clear reason for why this fire started. The day care and the high rise were the result of tampering with gas lines." Gail rattled off. "But this one feels different. The hotel fire was started on the fifth floor in one of the rooms. None of the surveillance cameras caught a photo of his face. And none of the witnesses could provide any identifying information. It's like this guy is a ghost. Like he's playing with us. And this location seems to be the most personal. This is where Candidate Applebaum expired. This was set up for just that reason. To kill. One of you." Gail said as she undid the pad lock on the door. "So take me through the scene."

"We've been through it." Beca mumbled under her breath. "We got the call for a warehouse fire." She started for the third time that day.

"Did you know it was abandoned?" Gail asked.

"No. Dispatched called a commercial business fire." Beca recalled.

"So what happened next?" Gail asked as the beams of their flashlights illuminated the dirty warehouse floor.

"Standard procedure. We cleared it of possible victims and then sent the hoses in." Beca answered. She shown her light in the direction of the path she took that day. In the direction of where they found Benji pinned under twisted metal scaffolding.

"Who called in the fire?" Gail asked as she held her clip board behind her for Beca to take.

The firefighter flipped through the reports until she found the answer. "The 911 call was traced to a nearby business owner. HHPD questioned him and cleared him. He said he saw the smoke when he was returning from lunch." Beca said reading from the paper.

"And there was no gas to this location? No power at all right?" Gail questioned.

"No ma'am." Beca answered. "The structure had been abandoned for 8 months prior to the fire.

They finally reached the point of origin. The place where the fire started. Gail's light beam crossed the floor slowly as she searched the immediate area. She stopped on several shards of glass. Beca joined her light to where Gail's was pointed. Gail squatted down to have a closer look.

"Do you have a cat?" She asked randomly.

"Ah. No. I don't have a cat." Beca rolled her eyes.

"Me neither but this looks like kitty litter. Does it not?" She said as her light hit a couple small pieces of what Beca thought looked like blue sand.

Then she immediately shown her light up to the rafter's where bulb lights hung from the ceiling. "Those are frosted." She said.

Beca looked up.

"This is clear." Gail said looking back down.

"And this" She said as she pulled a latex glove out of the back of her pocket. She slipped it on her hand and then snapped a photo of what she was looking at. Beca was unable to see what she was picking up as Gail's crouching body blocked her view. "This is a completely different kind of light bulb." She held up the metal footing of what looked to be a standard house bulb. It had a large section of glass attached.

Beca's light quickly scanned the area. There was no reason a bulb like that should be in this warehouse.

"Recognize it?" Gail's voice cut through the darkness.

Beca turned back towards the investigator.

"Several of these types of bulbs were also found at the bar. But nobody thought anything of it because there were hundreds of light bulbs in there. But here." Gail looked at the firefighter. "It doesn't belong. And maybe with some luck, we can pull a finger print from this bad boy."

"I'm sorry. I don't understand." Beca replied.

"I'm willing to bet that when we do a chemical test on this bulb we will find traces of gasoline on the inside of this bulb." Gail answered and then seemed to continue speaking out loud to herself. "Kitty litter's an oxidizer. No traces of a paper bag because it would have been destroyed in the fire. Light bulb filled with gasoline. Put the bulb in the bag, smash it and run for the hills. The chemical reaction would start right away."

After a long day of searching and seeming to find nothing, Beca was suddenly filled with hope.

 **XxXxXx**

"Hi. You must be Mr. and Mrs. Evans?" Chloe said as she walked into Tom's hospital room. "My name is Chloe. I'm a friend of Tom's. We work together."

"Oh. So nice to meet you dear." The older woman said as she stood from her seat slowly. "I'm Thomas's grandmother Barbara and this is his grandfather, Hank."

"So nice to meet you." Chloe said extending her hand to the pair. "Are his parents here as well?" Chloe asked.

"Thomas's mother died when he was just a boy." Hank replied.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know." Chloe replied quickly.

"It was years ago dear. It was a very tragic accident. He was sent to live with us right after." Barbara said as she turned back towards the dark haired man who lay unconscious in the bed.

Chloe nodded. "I'm so sorry we are meeting under these circumstances. Tom is such a nice man. His kids truly love him. I'm not sure how someone can make math funny but I always hear laughter coming from his classroom."

"And what do you teach?" Barbara asked thankful to have someone other than the nurses to talk to since arriving and sitting at her grandson's bedside.

"Art. My classroom is right next to Tom's." Chloe answered.

"So the two of you met at school?" Barbara asked.

"We did. We were just starting to become friends actually. We were" Chloe paused, "at the bar together the night of the fire."

"Were you harmed dear?" Barbara asked her face riddled with concern.

"No ma'am. I was actually in the restroom when it all happened. A friend" She paused, "who is a firefighter save me and Tom."

"I hope to meet your friend so that I can properly thank him for my grandson's life." Hank said quickly.

Chloe was about to answer him. About to correct him when she felt her phone vibrate in her hand. She looked down to see Beca's name. "Would you excuse me for a moment?"

The two older adults nodded and turned their attention back to Tom and back to the monitor's. Chloe stepped out of the room and answered the call.

"Hello?" She said softly trying to be respectful of being in a hospital.

"Hey. Are you at the hospital?" Beca asked quickly.

"Yes. I'm just visiting with Tom and his grandparents." Chloe replied.

"Oh is he awake?" Beca asked.

"No. He isn't. I haven't had a chance to really find out what his status is. As soon as I walked in I met his grandparents. Where are you?" Chloe asked quickly.

"Heading your way. I want to stop in and see Jesse. We found something at the warehouse that might be linked to the bar. So that's promising." Beca said her voice filled with hope.

"That's great babe." Chloe replied happily.

"After I talk to Jesse we can go out for dinner?" Beca asked.

"Yeah." Chloe smiled. "How about I meet you in Jesse's room in what like 30 minutes?"

"Sounds great" Beca answered happily. "See you soon."

"Bye" Chloe whispered. She disconnected the call and turned to go back into Tom's room.

"Sorry" Chloe apologized as she re-entered the ICU room.

"It's quite alright dear." Barbara said softly.

"So has there been any changes? Have you seen the doctor's recently" Chloe probed.

"They are going to start to bring him out of his coma tomorrow morning. The doctors are hopeful that he will wake up tomorrow afternoon at some point but they aren't being very specific on any lasting effects or if he will even wake up." Barbara answered sadly. She held her grandson's hand tightly.

Chloe nodded slowly. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault dear." Barbara soothed. "I just wish that we wouldn't have been so far away from him for the last several years. I missed him so much and now he may never wake up or be the Thomas that we remember." She said breaking down into tears.

Hank crossed the room and placed a gentle hand on his wife's shoulders. "I can't believe he even wanted to move back here after what happened with his parents." Hank said. "I shouldn't have let him come. I should have insisted that he stay home with us."

"Where's home?" Chloe asked softly.

"Topeka." Hank replied. "Kansas."

 **XxXxXx**

"Wow. That's great." Jesse said happily.

"Yeah. If they can pull a print off the bulb they can run it against the DMV database so even he this asshole doesn't have a prior record they can still match it." Beca rattled off.

Jesse sighed. "Maybe this is almost over and we can get back to normal regular everyday life."

"I hope so." Beca replied. "How about you? When are you out of here?"

"Tomorrow sometime." Jesse answered with a frown.

"I don't think you should have that expression on your face. I think your lips should be pointed in the other direction." She teased.

"I keep asking Aubrey out and she keeps turning me down." Jesse said sadly.

"I thought she was already your girlfriend." Beca replied.

"Well, an amazing night in bed doesn't automatically mean we are in a relationship." Jesse repeated the words out of Aubrey's mouth from a couple days ago. "So she says."

"I'm sorry J" Beca said reaching for her best friend patting him on his knee that was covered by a hospital blanket.

"I'm not giving up though." He replied quickly.

"Of course not."

"Hi?" Chloe said poking her head into the room.

Jesse looked towards the door and Beca turned as well. "Hey" She greeted.

"You look good Jesse. How are you feeling?" Chloe asked as she walked to stand next to Beca.

"Much better. I get to go home tomorrow." He answered.

"That's great. I'm so glad that you're okay." Chloe said sincerely.

"Thanks."

"Ready?" Beca asked looking up at the art teacher.

She nodded. "If you are."

"We're gonna go grab some dinner." Beca said standing from her chair at Jesse's bedside.

"Oh okay. I'll just stay here and eat weird hospital noodles and jello" Jesse said sadly as he looked down to his lap.

"Whatever dude. You love Jello" Beca laughed.

"Yeah. I do" He looked up teasingly.

"Call me tomorrow. I'll pick your ass up." Beca said as she linked her hand with Chloe's earning a smile from Jesse.

"Thanks B" He said.

Chloe walked in front of Beca and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "I'm so glad you're okay." She smiled.

"Thanks Chloe. You two have a good night." He wished them.

The pair made their way out of Jesse's hospital room and down the hallway of the hospital. They passed the nurses station and rounded the corner as they made small talk. Chloe wasn't paying attention to where she was going when she bumped into someone.

"I'm so" She began but stopped speaking. "Luke." She said. She felt Beca's hand tighten around hers and Luke's eyes move down to their joined hands. "I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there." She apologized.

His eyes quickly returned to hers. "No problem love." He smirked.

* * *

 **AN: Hey guys. Didn't hear much from last chapter. Hope you guys are still with me here. If it's starting to suck let me know. Reviews are always always welcome and appreciated. See you Thursday..**


	25. Chapter 24

"Excuse us" Beca said to Luke as she attempted to pull Chloe's arm.

"What's the rush Lieutenant?" Luke asked never taking his eyes off Chloe.

"Get out of the way Luke." Beca said quickly.

"I haven't seen you in a while Chloe. How have you been?" Luke asked the redhead.

"Fine thank you." Chloe answered quickly.

"Luke" Beca said loudly finally earning his eyes on her. "Move."

"How do you explain to the tax payers of Hidden Hills that the firefighters who are paid to protect them are helpless to stop a serial arsonist? An arsonist that is targeting the fire department and putting innocent lives in danger by doing so?" He asked loudly. "Five fires and no suspects but the death toll keeps rising."

Beca squinted her eyes internally pleading with herself not to take the bait.

"No comment Lieutenant?" He mocked. "Or is it that the department doesn't comment on on-going investigations?"

Beca stood her ground silently.

"What's the matter Beca? Cat got your tongue."

"Leave her alone Luke." Chloe said as she squeezed Beca's hand hoping to comfort her.

"So you two are like a thing now?" He questioned as he looked between them. "I didn't think you had it in you to get a girl this hot." He said peering down at Beca before turning to Chloe. "And I must say, I wouldn't have guessed in a million years that you were a dyke. I mean" he grinned at Chloe, "Not with how much you like dick."

Beca dropped Chloe's hand quickly and surged forward for the tall man. This time Luke was ready for the attack. He grabbed Beca by the shoulders and easily tossed her against the wall. Beca winced as she landed hard on her left side. She surged forward for Luke again this time quick enough to grab him by the shoulders. Beca pulled down as hard as she could on him as she raised her left knee straight up. She felt her knee cap hit him in the stomach as he crumpled in front of her releasing the air in his lungs loudly with a grunt. Luke stood quickly and swung his right hand through the air making contact with Beca's face sending her to the ground.

Hospital security grabbed Luke by his shoulder's forcing him backwards as Chloe knelt down by Beca who was laying in the fetal position on the floor.

"Oh my God Beca are you okay?" She asked frantically as her hands hovered over Beca afraid that if she touched her she would hurt her.

"Let me go. She started it. Fucking let go of me." Luke yelled as he struggled against the two security guards.

Beca pushed herself up from the ground by extending her arms. She pushed Chloe's helpful hands off of her as she climbed to her feet. Blood trickled out of the left side of Beca's lip. She could taste it in her mouth as she walked to Luke who still stood in the officer's grasp.

"Leave her alone." Beca demanded refusing to be intimidated by Luke.

Chloe followed quickly behind Beca as she walked past Luke and the officers. Just as Chloe passed by the tall blonde reporter he puckered his lips shooting a kiss in her direction. She refused to acknowledge his action and continued quickly after Beca catching up to her just as she made it outside the hospital.

Beca found the nearest patch of grass and spit all the liquid that had accumulated in her mouth. Most of it was red as it hit the ground in a heavy clump of blood and saliva.

"Babe" Chloe called. "Are you okay?"

Beca turned towards the worried teacher. She held out her hand for Chloe who took it instantly.

A couple hours later after the Chinese take-out they picked up for dinner had been eaten, Beca sat at her dining table nursing a beer out of the side of her mouth that wasn't busted open. His words ran through her head on repeat and as much as she wanted to ignore him she couldn't. She was stewing in anger. Why couldn't they figure out who was doing this? What did they possibly have against the fire department and possibly against her? She still hadn't given up on the theory that the arsonist was targeting her.

"Hey" Chloe said quietly as she emerged from Beca's bedroom in an oversized t-shirt towel drying her hair.

Beca didn't seem to notice her. Or hear her.

"Becs?" Chloe said a little louder.

"Yeah?" Beca answered.

"What are you thinking about?" Chloe asked sitting in the chair next to Beca.

"What Luke said." Beca answered honestly.

Chloe cringed. "Which part?" She asked hesitantly.

"Not that part." Beca replied side eyeing the redhead.

"I'm sorry he said that." Chloe apologized for the hundredth time since she arrived at Beca's. "I'm sorry that he can hold that over me and use it to hurt you."

"It's fine Chloe." Beca sighed. "I was thinking about what he said about the arsonist and how we can't seem to stop him."

Chloe nodded softly, listening carefully.

"He's right. Innocent people are in danger because of us. Because of me." Beca said lifting the bottle to her lips once again.

"Why because of you?" Chloe asked.

Beca shrugged. "Just a hunch." She stood from the table and tossed her empty beer bottle in the trash can. "I'm going to go shower."

Chloe stood from the table and followed Beca back to the bedroom. "Why because of you?" She asked again as Beca undressed and quickly got in the shower. She pushed herself up to sit on the counter top facing the shower while she brushed the tangles out of her hair with a comb.

Beca let the water rain down on her head and down her body. She heard Chloe ask again. "I have to go back to the warehouse site tomorrow." Beca said loudly over the sound of pounding water.

Chloe sat up straight. "Why? I thought you were there twice today?"

"Gail wants to run through the scenario we are working on." Beca answered. "We're going to try to re-create the device we think we found and see if it has a similar burn pattern and outcome. Chief will be there and I'm going to ask him if he'll bring me back early." She knew it was a long shot but following Gail around all day made her want to be back at the house with her brothers more than ever.

"Can he do that?" Chloe asked nervously. "And it's Gail now?"

"He can do whatever he wants. He's the Chief." Beca answered. She needed to be back fighting fires. "After the investigation is over and Gail goes back to LA, I can't sit at home doing nothing. And it's Gail because her last night is absolutely ridiculous." Beca answered.

"But maybe nothing would be good for you for a while." Chloe argued ignoring the jealously she knew was irrational when Beca referred to the woman by her first name.

"I've never been good at doing nothing Chloe." Beca said as the water ran down her body. "I need to be back at work."

"Can't you just give it a couple of days Beca? You're body still needs to heal." Chloe tried to argue reasonably. "Just take a couple days to rest."

"I've been off for almost a week Chloe. I'm rested. I'm more rested than I've ever been." Beca replied as she picked up her loofah and began washing her body.

"I was actually thinking that maybe we could get away. For a long weekend or something." Chloe suggested. "Maybe we could drive down the coast." Chloe hoped that Beca would bite on the offer. "I was thinking that I could get a couple days off next week. Maybe leave Friday after school and come back on Tuesday? I can get some time off and we could take a trip."

"Um" Beca mumbled. "It's not the best time right now Chlo. Not with everything going on." Beca replied. "I want to be around if something happens. But maybe after all this is over we can."

Chloe sat quietly on the counter. She watched Beca's silhouette through the frosted glass. "What did you mean?" She asked softly. She knew Beca heard her because her actions paused for a quick second.

"What are you talking about?" Beca asked as she let the water rinse her body turning carefully with the painful burns on her left side.

"You said because of you. What did you mean by that?" Chloe asked.

"It's just a theory I have. About the fires. About the arsonist." Beca replied simply.

"Okay. So tell me your theory." Chloe replied.

Beca shut off the water. She let the drops fall from her body as she tried to decide if she should tell Chloe or not.

"Whatever it is, I'd like to know." Chloe added softly.

Beca closed her eyes and took a breath. "I've been trying to figure out why all of this is happening and what this person could possibly be after."

"And?" Chloe questioned.

Beca pushed up the shower door and reached for a towel that was hanging nearby. She wrapped it around her body and stepped out. "I'm not sure that this person isn't targeting me."

The shock on Chloe's face was evident. Beca's words repeated in her head before she could figure out how to reply.

"I don" She stumbled over her words as Beca walked past her. "I don't understand. Why?" She jumped off the counter and followed Beca back into the bedroom. "Why would you think that Beca?"

Beca pulled on a pair of sleep shorts. "They all kind of line up that way. Only happening on my shifts. Happening in my zones. Happening in my areas of responsibility. Happening just feet from the bar I was literally sitting at 5 minutes before." She answered.

"Are you sure?" Chloe asked her voice shaking with fear.

"No" Beca sighed. "I'm not. It's just a theory." Beca answered as she pulled a tank top over her head. "But there haven't been any fire's since I've been off shift except for 10-70. And if I go back and it happens again then I'll know."

Chloe stood motionless in the bedroom as Beca moved around her preparing for bed. Her head was spinning. A few days ago she thought Beca would be out of harm's way for a while. And now her girlfriend was going to ask to have her suspension lifted. She was going to ask to go back to work where she thought someone was deliberately targeting her. To hurt her. To kill her.

Beca watched Chloe closely as she performed her nightly routine. "How was Tom?" She asked trying to snap Chloe out of her daze.

"Um" Chloe mumbled. Her eyebrows furrowed. "I met his grandparents." Chloe whispered. "They uh, told me that" her voice was getting louder as she continued to speak, "the doctors are going to try to wake him up tomorrow. But they don't know what to expect yet."

"His grandparents?" Beca asked as stopping the motion of brushing her teeth but not pulling the toothbrush out of her mouth.

"Yeah. They were his emergency contacts that I got from the school. Apparently his mom died when he was young." Chloe answered recalling what Hank told her earlier.

Beca nodded as she went back to brushing her teeth. She winced as a bit of toothpaste made it into the crack on her lip but carefully licked it off with her tongue.

"I hope he's okay." She replied after she spit in the sink. Beca turned off the water and made her way to Chloe who was still standing in her bedroom. Beca wrapped her arms around the redhead's waist. "Are you going to visit him tomorrow?" She asked softly as she kissed Chloe's neck gently.

"Probably." Chloe replied. She snaked her arms around Beca's shoulders loosely.

Beca tightened her hold on Chloe. "Want to go to bed?" She asked.

Chloe nodded.

They climbed into bed and turned out the lights. Chloe was having trouble shutting her mind off. The thoughts of Beca going back to work flooded her brain. Beca's theory that someone was after her was freaking her out. She felt Beca move up against her, pressing their bodies together tightly.

"It's going to be okay" Beca whispered. She knew Chloe was struggling. She could see it in her eyes. Felt it in her ridged body language. "I promise."

Chloe's body instantly relaxed when Beca held her. Her words began to push away the fear. The promise whispered in the night were now the words on repeat in her brain. Chloe turned her head around and reached for the back of Beca's head. She pressed her mouth to the right side of Beca's lips. She was going to hold her to that promise. She broke the kiss and turned back around and settled into the mattress.

"I hope Tom's okay" Beca whispered.

"Me too" Chloe agreed.

"What happened to Tom's dad?" Beca asked as her body began to relax.

"Um. I don't know" Chloe answered. She hadn't thought to ask. Hank only offered information about his mother. She felt Beca nod slightly behind her. "His grandpa just said that his mom died when he was young and then he was sent to live with them in Topeka." Chloe yawned.

Beca felt her body slipping away. Relaxing. Chloe was warm against her. She held her girlfriend tight in her arms committing her body to memory. She felt Chloe's breath even out as she fell asleep. Beca's eyes shot open quickly. "Kansas?" She whispered.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca stood beside Chief Smith and Investigator Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberg watching the warehouse smolder. They had successfully recreated the incendiary device they believed was responsible for starting this fire and possibly the fire at 10-70. Approximately 9 minutes ago Beca made her way out of the warehouse after smashing the light bulb with her heel starting the chemical reaction. At the first sign of smoke billowing from the abandoned warehouse, tall enough that it could be seen from a block away, Chief Smith called over to 72 recreating the alarm. The truck was in route as the building caught fire. This had to be it Beca thought. The warehouse was almost exactly how it was when they arrived on site a few weeks ago. Three minutes later Engine 72 pulled up to the warehouse. Beca watched as the crew filed out of the truck and prepared to put out the fire.

"Nice work you two." Chief Smith said turning towards Beca and the inspector.

"Well, I think my work here is done." Gail said proudly. "I'm 100% sure this was the same timing device that was used at the bar fire. Now all that's left to do is wait for forensics to test the pieces we discovered yesterday. I'll take the evidence back with me to LA to process in our lab."

"And that will take?" He asked.

"A week or so." She answered. Gail turned to Beca.

"It was a pleasure." She said extending her hand.

"Likewise ma'am" Beca returned. "Thank you for all of your help."

"Yes well all in a day's work I suppose. Good luck to the both of you." She wished Beca and the Chief. Gail smiled before turning to walk to her car.

"Think they will be able to pull prints off of it?" Beca asked Chief Smith as the firefighters began shooting water at the warehouse.

He sighed. "Of course. Everything else has been going our way."

"Sarcasm?" Beca teased. "Wow."

"What can I say? Maybe you're rubbing off on me." He teased.

"So. Chief" Beca said nervously. "I know I'm on restricted duty and everything. But I was hoping that you would lift my suspension so I can come back to work?" She asked.

"And why would I do that?" He asked.

"Because you miss me so much?" Beca said with a smile.

He fought against matching her smile. Sometimes she reminded him of his best friend so much that it was scary. He stood silent.

"I know I shouldn't have gone back in that building Chief" Beca sighed. "I disobeyed an order and I made Theo go with me putting my life and his in danger. But I'm a firefighter Chief. First and foremost. I've never made any bones about that. It's what I've always been and what I will always be."

"You don't know your boundaries Mitchell." He replied in a stern voice. "A leader has to lead by example and disobeying orders sets a very bad very dangerous example." He scolded. "I can't let that go unpunished Beca."

Beca's shoulders slumped.

"No matter how much I miss you." He added with a small smile.

"I understand Chief." She replied sadly.

"But" He paused thinking. "Maybe 20 days was excessive." He replied.

Beca's head snapped in his direction.

"Report Monday." Chief Smith said with authority.

"Really?" Beca asked quickly. Her eyes lighting up like a kid a Christmas.

He nodded affirmatively. "With Swanson out we are a little short anyway."

Beca's smile faded quickly.

"I don't want to seem ungrateful Chief because I am but could I report Wednesday?" She asked tentatively. Chloe's blue eyes from last night fresh in her mind.

Chief Smith turned to look at her questioningly.

"I'm kind of seeing someone." Beca admitted. He wasn't her father but he was her father's best friend and his eye's flashed something that looked like happiness and she felt like she was telling her dad about her girlfriend. "She wanted to go away this weekend and I'd really like to be able to do that with her."

"And just who is this girl?" He asked.

"She's a teacher at Hidden Hills actually." Beca said.

Chief Smith's eyebrows lifted high.

"Yeah I know right." Beca smiled. "I haven't spoken to my mom about it but I think Chloe has. Her name is Chloe." Beca confirmed. "And she's great. I really like her."

"I'm happy for you Beca." He said gently.

"Thank you sir" Beca replied. "So Wednesday?" She wanted to confirm.

"Affirmative Mitchell" He said straightening back up into Chief mode.

"Thank you sir" Beca said again as she looked back to the scene of the now extinguished fire.

"Good work here Mitchell" Chief congratulated.

She nodded as she began to step away towards her Jeep.

"And Beca" He called out.

Beca stopped and turned.

"Maybe bring Chloe by sometime? I'd really like to meet her." He added with a fatherly tone.

Beca nodded and climbed in her Jeep with a smile just as her phone rang loudly.

 **XxXxXx**

It was late in the afternoon and Chloe was just sitting down at her desk for the last class of the day which happened to be her planning period today. She pulled her cell phone from her bag and read through a couple of messages. One from her mom checking with her and showing her the picture of a new puppy they just got and one from Beca. She read the text out loud to herself quietly. "Picking up Jesse at the hospital. Call me when you're finished seeing Tom. I have something to tell you." Chloe's brows furrowed. What could Beca need to tell her? She pulled up her favorites list and called her best friend.

"Hey Chlo." Aubrey answered immediately.

"Hey. Are you busy?" Chloe asked.

"No, I'm actually on a little break. What's up?" Aubrey asked.

"Do you happen to know if there is any change in Tom's status today?"

"Tom?" Aubrey asked. "The teacher from your work right?"

"Yeah. Tom Evans." Chloe clarified.

Chloe could hear Aubrey typing quickly. "Um, no and if anything has changed it hasn't been updated in the computer yet." Aubrey answered.

"Oh" Chloe said sadly.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. She knew what was coming next but waited for Chloe to ask before she offered.

"Could you like maybe go check on him or something?" Chloe asked quietly. "I saw him yesterday and if there isn't a change then I don't really need to come by the hospital today. But you know if it's too much trouble then don't worry about it." Chloe said quickly.

"It's no trouble Chlo. I know Michelle the ICU nurse. I'll go up there and I'll let you know okay?" Aubrey replied.

"Thanks Bree." Chloe smiled.

 **XxXxXx**

"How freaking long does it take to get out of here?" Jesse asked frustrated.

"Forever dude." Beca replied as she sat leaning back in the chair with her head resting back looking up at the ceiling and her hands folded cross her stomach. "Trust me. I know."

"So are you gonna tell me what happened to your face?" Jesse asked for at least the third time since Beca had arrived at his room over an hour ago.

"Just had a run in with the past. Nothing important." Beca answered vaguely. She didn't need a lecture from him about fighting. Again.

"Nothing important. Right" He huffed. Jesse stopped pacing and plopped down in the chair on the opposite side of the hospital room from his best friend. "So tell me why you look so fucking peaceful right now."

Beca shrugged as a small smile played on her lips.

"Okay. Seriously." He said loudly. "You don't even smile and yet you can barely keep yourself from beaming so, what's up?" He asked.

"Chloe asked me to go away with her this weekend." Beca didn't move her head but she brought her eye's down to look at him.

"And I assume by your face that you're going?" He asked.

"Yeah." Beca confirmed. "She doesn't know yet but I'm gonna surprise her. I was thinking of going over to the school and asking Evelyn if she'll give Chloe Thursday and Friday off so we can take a little longer than Chloe had planned."

Jesse smirked.

"What?" Beca asked.

"It looks good on you." He said.

"What does?"

"Love." He stated.

Beca raised her head to argue when she heard the sound of then overhead intercom buzz followed by a code being read by a distressed voice. "Code Green. 4th floor. Hospital on lockdown. Shelter in place. Code Green. 4th floor. Hospital on lockdown. Shelter in place."

 **XxXxXx**

Five minutes later Chloe's phone rang. She saw Aubrey's name and picture on the small screen and picked it up quickly. "Hey Bree that was fast."

"Chloe" Aubrey whispered shakily.

"Bree?" Chloe asked. "Aubrey what's wrong?" She could hear Aubrey's muffled crying through the phone.

"I don't know what's going to happen." Aubrey whispered through tears.

"Aubrey where are you?" Chloe asked loudly as she stood from her desk.

"I came to check on Tom and Michelle" Aubrey's voice cracked. "Michelle is dead."

"What" Chloe asked loudly. The room was spinning. "Bree where are you?"

"I'm hiding." Aubrey whispered. "I came up to check on Tom like you asked and the floor was empty. Then I heard a gunshot and I saw Michelle hit the ground." Aubrey placed her hand over her mouth to stifle her cry. "They called a code and this hospital is on lock down but you're the only one who knows I'm up here."

"Okay. Hang up and call the cops Bree. Tell them where you are." Chloe instructed. "And don't move. Okay? Okay Aubrey?" Chloe asked frantically.

"Okay" Aubrey mumbled. "Chloe. If I" Aubrey cried.

"No Bree. You'll be okay. Call the cops and tell them where you are." Chloe interrupted her best friend unwilling to hear what Aubrey was going to say.

"Okay. Okay." Aubrey replied through tears.

"Do it now" Chloe said hanging up on Aubrey.

Her hand flew over her mouth as she tried to suppress her sob as her mind raced. She fumbled with her phone as she looked for the contact.

 **XxXxXx**

"Lockdown?" Jesse asked.

Beca felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and answered. "Hey Chlo."

"Beca" Chloe said panicked.

"What's wrong?" Beca said as she sat up straight.

"Aubrey." Was all Chloe could say as she began crying again.

"What about Aubrey" Beca asked earning a look from Jesse.

"Something's happened at the hospital. She said that someone is dead." Chloe was frantic.

"Chloe. Take a breath baby please." Beca said calmly as she stood from the chair. She walked over to Jesse's hospital room door and looked through the small window to the hallway. "What's going on?"

"There's been a shooting or something in the hospital. Michelle is dead." Chloe cried still not making much sense to the brunette.

"Who is Michelle? And how do you know?" Beca asked as she walked away from the door and back towards Jesse who was standing in the middle of the room. She pulled the phone from her ear and held it in her hand placing the call on speaker.

"Michelle is the nurse on the ICU floor. Bree called me because I asked her to go check on Tom for me." Chloe took a deep breath as she ran through the school with her bag in hand. "She said when she got up there she heard a shot and then saw Michelle on the floor. Beca I don't know what to do. I told Aubrey to call the cops and tell them where she was and to not move. She said she would but I'm going there now so I can" She paused. "I don't know what I can do but"

"Chloe I'm at the hospital right now with Jesse." Beca replied.

Chloe took three more hard steps before coming to a stop.

* * *

 **AN: Gulp...**

 **Sup guys... I'm feeling so much better just in time for 4th of July weekend! YAY! I'm really going to try and post on Sunday but in all honesty I may miss it. If I do, I promise to make it up to you as soon as possible. Leave me your comments on what the heck is about to happen. And have a happy and safe holiday weekend 'merica!**


	26. Chapter 25

**AN: The bad news: my laptop died. It is no longer with us. It's very very sad. The really bad news: future Burn chapters were on it. I wrote the following on my phone which suuuuuccckkksss. Is it the same as I had previously written, no but it's really close. BUT I shall over come this and continue just please bear with me.**

* * *

"Why are you at the hospital?" Chloe asked as her feet came to an abrupt stop.

"I came to pick up Jesse. He is supposed to be released today. I texted you." Beca answered.

Jesse huffed impatiently and snatched Beca's phone out of her hand. "What did Aubrey say? And where is she?" He asked quickly.

Beca knew her best friend better than anyone. She knew exactly what he was thinking. "We aren't SWAT Jesse" she said softly enough hoping Chole couldn't hear.

"Would you be saying that if it were Chloe?" He questioned loudly. "No. You wouldn't" he answered for her. "Where is she Chloe?" He asked the device tightly in his hand.

Chloe was torn. She knew if Jesse was going up there to try and save Aubrey, then so was Beca. She desperately wanted someone to get Aubrey out of there and safely to her but she was terrified of sacrificing Beca's safety.

"Chloe" Jesse said loudly growing more impatient.

"ICU. The fourth floor." Beca answered.

Jesse shoved the phone back in Beca's direction as he made his way towards the door.

"Text Bree my number and tell her to send me her location. And make sure she has her phone is on silent. Not vibrate but silent." Beca instructed Chloe.

"Beca" Chloe's voice was barely audible. "Please, please be careful."

"I will and I'll call you when we got her." Beca answered making eye contact at Jesse who had the look of formulating a plan in his head.

He nodded at her quickly and Beca knew it was time to go. "I gotta go."

"Beca, I love you" Chloe said quickly. She clamped her eyes shut tightly as she waited for a response that never came. She pulled the phone from her head and saw her home screen.

"What's the play here Jesse?" Beca asked as she joined him at the door her phone pushed down securely in her pocket.

"We need an access badge. Like the one's the employee's wear. Then we can access the stairwell. With the lockdown it will be the only way to get up to 4." He answered.

Chloe's fingers trembled as she texted Aubrey and sent her Beca's contact information.

"Yes ma'am. We currently have units on the way. Please stay where you are and do not move or make any noise." The 911 operator told the blonde nurse.

Aubrey tried to take several deep breaths to calm her breathing and lower her racing heartbeat. She felt the slight buzz of her phone in her hand and saw a message from Chloe.

 _Beca's number. She's in the hospital and is coming to get you. Text her where you are and put your phone on silent._

"Excuse me" Beca said interrupting the gossiping nurses at the nurses station. "I'm looking for a nurse. She's usually in emergency. Her name is Jessica Stanton. Can you page her please? I really need to speak with her." Beca said calmly.

"We are on lockdown." A dark haired nurse replied rather rudely.

"Yes. I know and this is an emergency." Beca said calmly as Jesse joined her at the nurses station.

"An emergency?" One of the nurses asked. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"You can help me find Jessica Stanton." Beca replied as she felt her phone vibrate from her pocket.

"If she's an emergency nurse then she's in the emergency department which is on the opposite side of the building." The nurse began explaining condescendingly. "This hospital is currently on a lockdown-shelter in place order. Which means she will not be able to come over and assist you with what ever personal emergency you are currently having."

"She's hiding in the family lounge across from the nurses station." Beca said reading from her phone.

Jesse placed his hands on the counter and pushed himself up high enough to reach over and grabbed the rude nurses badge from her scrub top. He pulled the plastic card hard as she yelled.

"Hey!" She reached out for him but Jesse was already heading for the stairwell. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Thank you for all your help" Beca said sarcastically before turning and running after Jesse who scanned the badge at a card reader panel. A small red light turned green and Jesse pulled the door open quickly.

"Ask her if she knows how many gunmen." Jesse said as the quickly climbed the steps.

Beca fired off the text. Seconds later came the reply. "No. She hasn't seen anyone but she heard one shot. She says she can hear voices but can't really make out what they are saying."

"Ask her how many stairwells there are." Jesse ordered.

"There's two Jesse" Beca answered without having to ask. "When the hospital built this wing we did an Emergency Evac drill here." Beca informed. "This" Beca said trying to get her bearings "is the east stairwell." Beca looked down at her phone and quickly typed. She didn't have to wait long until she got the answer. "Bree is on the west side of the floor, closest to the elevators."

"Which mean's we are probably going to have to cross right by the gunman." Jesse said as they came to the landing of the door. Jesse slowly looked through the small glass panel. "I don't see anything." He whispered.

Chloe ran to the police barricade. She counted up four flights and kept her eye's glued to that floor. We was too far away to actually see anything but that didn't stop her from squinting to try and get a peak at any movement coming from the floor. A cop crossed her path, "Excuse me!" She yelled, "Officer!"

The young man in blue stopped walking and turned towards her. "Yes ma'am?"

"There is a woman hiding on the fourth floor with the gunmen. She's my best friend. She called me from in there" Chloe began to explain quickly.

The young policeman nodded. "We have units getting ready to enter the building ma'am."

"Can you please tell them that she's in there. Please" She begged. "She's my best friend. Please." She pleaded.

The officer pulled his radio off his shoulder. "O1425. I have a report of a woman trapped on the" he paused.

"Fourth floor" Chloe said loudly.

"Fourth floor. Possible hostage situation." He reported.

"Copy that O1425." The response came back quickly.

"Thank you." Chloe replied gratefully. The young officer resumed his walking of the barricade and Chloe's eye's immediately returned to the fourth floor.

Tear's poured from Aubrey's eyes as she worked to remain as silent as she could. She was in the small lounge designated for families who had loved one's in ICU. It wasn't much of a hiding place. There was a small seating area. A small counter. A refrigerator, coffee pot and microwave. She currently found herself seated against the far wall trying her best to remain hidden from a large tank of filtered water.

When she stepped off the elevator and made her way down the hallway she heard the shot ring out as soon as she was passing the nurses station. She froze. When Michelle stumbled out of a patient's room and fell to the floor, Aubrey stood silent in place. When a shadow appeared to form on the floor she ducked into the room to her immediate right. She closed the door slowly to keep from giving away her location and then turned to look for a place to hide.

Her hands shook as she waited from any communication to come from Beca. She could hear the mumbling of voices but couldn't hear what they were saying. Aubrey dropped her head to her knees that were pulled up to her chest and prayed.

"You ready?" Jesse turned towards his best friend.

"As I'll ever be" Beca replied. She could feel the adrenaline running through her body. She'd been missing that feeling. The last time she felt it was when she and Theo ran back into 10-70 against orders. But this was different. She knew fire. She knew exactly how it worked. She knew the language it spoke. She knew how to incite it. She knew how to anger it. She knew how to subdue it and she knew how to beat it. This was new. She didn't know how to beat a bullet. But Jesse was her best friend and he had a connection with Aubrey. And Chloe had a connection with Aubrey and in that moment Beca realized she would do anything for Chloe. Because Jesse was right. It was love.

Jesse swiped the stolen nurses badge over the reader and watched the red light change to green. He pushed the handle down slowly and silently pulled open the door. He peaked is head around to see if he could see anyone or anything. He flinched at each sound. Each loud bang that rang out.

Beca counted five. Five shots.

Aubrey squeezed her eyes closed as tightly as she could. A sob escaped her mouth and immediately her hand flew over her lips to silence the next one that threatened to escape. She squeezed her arm tightly around her legs and gently rocked back and forth hoping to comfort herself. The shots were close and she was sure the next one would be aimed at her.

Beca tapped Jesse on the shoulder and pointed between them and then towards the hallway. He nodded. She was telling him that they had to split up. The chances that they would be discovered by the gunman were high and if they were discovered together they would both be killed. At least splitting up doubled the chances of finding Aubrey and getting at least one of them out alive. Jesse entered the hallway first. He moved as quickly as he could down the long corridor. Beca caught the stairwell door before it closed. She turned back towards the door and began to close it when she noticed the security pad. Beca turned to look for Jesse but he was already out of sight. He had the access badge. She reached in her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She let the door close until it was held open by her iPhone keeping an exit open incase she needed to make a quick exit.

Chloe stood nervously looking up at the hospital. The officer walked in front of her again. She had heard the report of additional shots being fired from inside the hospital. She heard someone report that the police didn't have any eyes on the shooter or any presence on the fourth floor. She looked down at her phone but saw nothing. No messages from her best friend and no update from the woman she loved. A tear rolled down her cheek as she realized exactly how much she could lose. How much she may have already lost.

A scream came from the short hallway just ahead of Beca. A scream and then pleading. A tearful beg for the life of her child. Anger surged through Beca's body when the gunshot rang out.

"What about my child?" The man's voice broke as he screamed at the top of his lungs. It was filled with pain. Filled with despair.

Boot steps echoed through the hallway. Beca was sure it was headed in her direction. She looked around quickly trying to determine the best place for her to hide. She needed a plan. Hopefully Jesse would be able to make it to Aubrey. She needed to hold this guy off, to buy them time. She needed a weapon. Beca turned and quickly went back in the direction she came from. She needed help.

Jesse put his finger over his lips begging the family huddled together in 409 to remain silent. they silently nodded as he left them and continued down the hallway. He'd counted 7. 7 people that were already in a horrible situation visiting and sitting at the bedside of the people they loved. 7 people who were now trapped, not to mention the 2 ICU patients that lay unconscious. They were the lucky ones in this situation. They were blissfully unaware of the terror their family members were enduring. The hallway turned slightly and Jesse saw a nurse laying in a pool of blood. He quickly made his way to her. She'd been shot in the chest. He looked up and to the left at the room half of her body was laying in. It was empty. The hospital bed pristine. He looked forward and could see a nurses station. He quickly continued that way until he made it to the large desk. He turned and saw the sign for lounge hanging on the wall. Jesse pushed the handle down and opened the door quickly.

Aubreys head shot up as the door opened. She wasn't sure how she got into his arms but it was the best feeling in the world. She buried her head in his chest and felt him tighten his hold on her. Two more gun shots brought them back to the present moment. "We have to get out of here" Jesse whispered.

"Where's Beca?" Aubrey whispered.

* * *

 **AN 2: reviews/comments/suggestions welcome**.


	27. Chapter 26

Jesse held Aubrey tightly. "I need to get you and the others out of here." Jesse replied quickly. He released his hold on Aubrey but slid one hand down her arm tightly gripping her hand and pulling her after him. He stopped at the door and looked the light the small window. He turned back to Aubrey. "We have to be quiet."

"What about Beca?" Aubrey asked again.

"We split up. She will be okay. I'll get you out of here and then I'll help her." Jesse replied as he quietly opened the door and pulled Aubrey behind him.

Aubrey looked back at her phone that fell out of her hand and onto the ground when she stood to hug Jesse. The screen lit up brightly but she was halfway out of the door when she saw it.

Beca looked down at her phone hoping for a quick reply from Aubrey like the pervious times she texted her but she wasn't getting anything back. Not even those three dots signaling that Aubrey was in the middle of a reply. Beca knew that the moment she pulled her phone from propping open the door that she was committed to the plan. Now she didn't have an escape and she didn't have a key card to get her through a door. She couldn't wait any longer as she silently moved through the hallway formulating a plan. She moved quickly down this hallway. It looked familiar to her and it in the all hospital hallways look the same kind of way. She'd been here before. She stopped and pulled her phone from her pocket. No answer from Aubrey. She didn't know if that was a good thing or not. She hadn't heard any shots lately and but that didn't comfort her either. She shoved the phone back down in her pocket realizing where she was. "Tom" Beca whispered quietly. Looking down the hall Beca took inventory of everything around her. A fire extinguisher that was in its case built into the wall. A janitor's closet a couple of doors down. She walked past Tom's room seeing movement from inside out of the corner of her eye. Once at the closet she pressed the handle down but was met with reisitance. "Fuck" she whispered.

"Please help us" a woman's voice trembled.

"Don't make a sound" Jesse whispered as quietly as he could as he motioned for the people he previously left in hospital rooms to follow him. "Move quickly" he added. He continued gripping Aubreys hand tightly and in return she held onto him for dear life. He rounded the corner and could see it. The stairwell was right in front of them. 30 yards away. His feet stopped abruptly causing Aubrey to bump into him and the high pitched squeak of rubber soles shoes on waxed tile flooring. The shadow he saw ahead paused at the sound. Jesse used his free hand to motion for everyone to back up which they eventually did. He didn't take his eyes off the shadow that began to grow again as it moved forward. He ducked behind the corner just as the gunmans leg came into view. "Go" he mouthed to the large scared eyes staring back at him.

Beca moved into the room. Tom laid unconscious in the bed in front of her. She felt fragile hands on her arm.

"Please help us. My husband" the voice trembled "I think he is having a heart attack".

Beca looked across the room at the older man. He sat in the chair with a hand gripping his chest tightly. He was covered in sweat and his breath was shallow. Beca thought back to her EMT training. It was mandatory when joining the academy but that was a long time ago. Thankfully Stacie and CR had taken it upon themselves to review procedures for different emergency medical situations at least once a month. Beca glanced back into the hallway briefly making sure the coast was still clear. "Do you have any aspirin?" She asked the older woman who nodded and the. Crossed the room. Beca watched her pick up a bag from the floor and begin to search through it. Beca made her way to the man. "Sir, I know it hurts but please try to remain still and try to breath for me." She said quietly. She heard the rattling of a bottle behind her. The older woman fumbled with the child proof lid for a moment. Beca's steady hands covered hers. "It's okay. I've got it" she said softly as the woman turned over the bottle. Beca swiftly popped the top and retrieved one pull. She turned back to the man. "I think this will help. Can you swallow it?"

He grimaced in pain but nodded his head.

Beca placed the aspirin in his slightly open mouth and watched as he dry swallowed it. "I need to get you out of here." She wisphered. Another shot jolted her body and surprised the woman who tried to contain a cry.

"Shit" Jesse whispered. He heard the bullet hit a nearby wall. "Keep going" he instructed. "Wait. Wait" he shouted in a whisper. "In here" he instructed as he pulled the employee badge from his pocket waiving it in front of the small black mounted box. "Come on" he said waiving them into the medical supply room. Once everyone was inside the small room he closed the door as quickly and as quietly as he could. Jesse put his ear to the door and tried to control his breathing. His hand gripped tightly to the handle as he tried to block out the other sounds that were coming from the other occupants of the room. He hopped he could hear footsteps walking past. That way he could wait and then lead them to the west elevator.

Beca moved quickly to the small window in Tom's room. She looked out to see police, fire and ambulances surrounded the parking lot below. She wrapped her fingers under the frame of the window and pulled up. "God damn it" Beca mumbled. She tried again to open the window and again she was unsuccessful. Her forehead fell against the window frustratedly. "Why can't I catch a fucking break?" She asked herself.

She turned back to the man and woman. "Take him. Hide" Beca ordered as she pointed to the small restroom.

The woman wrapped her husband's arm around her neck and slowly helped him to his feet. The crossed the small room and disappeared into the bathroom. Beca closed the door behind them as she took one last look at Tom and then left the room.

Chloe was a ball of nerves as she looked up at the hospital. She checked her phone every 30 seconds but hadn't heard from Beca or Aubrey in over 30 minutes. The officer past in front of her again. "Excuse me!" She said loudly. She saw him visible sigh before making his way back over to her. "Can you tell me what's going on?" She asked.

"I'm sorry ma'am but I can't give you any information other than we are working to peacefully resolve the situation as quickly as possible." He said in monotone voice.

"You're kidding right?" Chloe said quickly.

He stood still with a confused look on his face.

"You guys haven't done anything in 30 minutes. Do you have anyone up there yet?" She asked quickly and loudly. "He's killing people." She exclaimed.

Several heads in the crowd turned towards her.

"Ma'am. Please" The officer said sternly.

"Please what?" She shouted angrily.

"Please calm down. We are doing everything we can" He started to say again.

Chloe lost it. She knew she was yelling at the top of her lungs hysterically but she wasn't sure of the words she was saying. Her hands were flying through the air and words were tumbling out of her mouth. She didn't realize what was happening to her until her hands were being restrained behind her back tightly and she was being lead away, tears streaming down her face, struggling to keep her eyes on the fourth floor, struggling to catch her breath. She could have sworn she saw glass break as her head was being pushed down and she fell into the back seat of the police car.

Beca stood in front of the small glass door. She knew as soon as she pulled it open an alarm would ring. It would give away her location but she needed the fire extinguisher. If she used it how she planned it would give her the upper hand. But it would lead the gunman straight to her and straight to Tom. She took a deep breath and pulled the handle. The loud sound was piercing as it rang through the sterile hospital hallway. She pulled the large red aluminum tank from it's holder and moved back towards Tom's room. She held the butt of the tank up and swung as hard as she could connecting it to the glass window. She was relieved to see it begin to break signaling that it wasn't shatterproof. She pulled back and swung again sending small shards of glass flying in the opposite direction. She repeated the action two more times until there was a sizeable hole in the window.

"Do you hear that?" Jesse whispered. It was a small high pitched sound but he knew he could hear it. Nobody answered him but he didn't expect them to anyway. "Beca" He whispered. The more he listened to the familiar sound the more he knew it was her. She pulled the fire extinguisher. She was going to fight and so was he. "Stay here" he said turning back to the blonde. "Do not open this door unless it's me or Beca or if you're absolutely sure it's the police."

"Where are you going?" Aubrey asked frantically.

"To fight." He replied. He turned back towards the door and cracked it open. One side of the hall was clear. He pushed it open further and peaked his head around to look at the other side. Jesse moved quickly through the door and shut it behind himself. He checked the handle just to make sure it was locked before he began following the sound.

Beca satisfied with the window moved to the glass door of the ICU room and peaked her head out just at the gunman rounded the corner of the hallway. He raised his gun and she ducked back inside the room quickly. She pulled the pin from the fire extinguisher and ducked down behind one of the chairs so that she wouldn't immediately be seen. She held the trigger of the extinguisher tight in her left hand and the short hose in her right. She took a couple of deep breaths hoping to calm her heart rate and center herself. She saw his outstretched arm and the gun in his hand before she saw his face. She recognized him but she wasn't sure from where. He entered the room aiming directly at Tom. Beca shot to her feet and squeezed her hand tight spraying a cloud of white cloudy chemicals in his direction.

Two shots rang out.

* * *

 **AN: So I got a new computer. YAY! I wrote most of this on my phone and wanted to get it out. Sorry that it's a bit short but I will be posting tomorrow as well... hopefully no more interruptions. As always tell me what you guys are thinking.**


	28. Chapter 27

Beca followed the cloud towards the shooter. She didn't know if Tom was hit. She didn't know if he was dead or alive but she did know that if she didn't move she would be shot. She sung the bottom of the extinguisher up and connected with the man's stomach sending his upper body forward. Her left hand grabbed his wrist and pushed it towards the wall as he squeezed and fired off another shot that ricocheted off the hospital wall. She felt her body being thrown to the side by the much larger man as the white cloud lingered in the room. She saw him push forward forcefully. His feet leaving the ground momentarily before he was slammed hard into the bottom of Tom's hospital bed. Jesse's arms that were looped under the man's threw him hard to the ground causing the gun to release from his grip and slide across the room. Beca pushed herself back to her feet as the room began to clear out, the white cloud floated slowly out of the window. She could see Jesse struggling with the man but couldn't see the gun. Jesse raised up and landed two hard punches to the man's face. His body stopped moving as he lie unconscious on the floor. Jesse pushed himself up so that he was straddling the man's waist as he held onto his button down shirt tightly with both hands. He threw his head back and emitted a deep gravely scream that help to relieve all his pent up stress and emotion. Beca placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to help ground her friend.

"Flip him over. I'll find something to tie him up with." Beca said as she released her grip on Jesse's shoulder and began walking out of the room.

Jesse looked down at the man. He couldn't be much older than they were. Maybe in his mid-thirties at most. His face was worn down. His beard was scruffy and unshaven for a few weeks. He had dark circles under his eyes and his face was narrow. Jesse studied him. He didn't know what could push someone to do something like this. He shook his head as he pushed himself off the man and flipped him onto his stomach. Beca returned with something in her hand.

"It's all I could find." She said as she pulled hard to rip the thin hospital bed sheet. She was able to pull a long strip and hand it over to Jesse who tied the man's hands behind his back. He knotted the makeshift rope tightly and pushed himself to his feet.

"Aubrey?" Beca asked.

"Locked in a closet." Jesse replied simply.

"Oh that's hilarious." Beca replied. She made her way over to the bathroom and pulled the door open. "It's okay. You can come out." She said. The two older people emerged from the small room. The man was sat in a chair while the woman was immediately at Tom's beside. "Get Aubrey and get out of here. He needs medical attention so send them up with the police. I'll wait here." Beca said turning to Jesse.

He nodded and left the room running as quickly as he could towards the medical supply closet where he left Aubrey and the others.

 **XxXxXx**

After being de-briefed by the police and checked out by Emergency Room doctors, Beca followed two uniformed cops down the stair case and out of the hospital. She saw Jesse and Aubrey sitting the back of Stacie and CR's ambulance and made her way over to them. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and called Chloe.

"Can't stay out of trouble can you B?" CR teased.

Beca didn't reply to the comment but she did make eye contact with Stacie who seemed to visibly relax when she saw with her own eyes that Beca was okay.

"You okay?" Jesse asked as she walked up to him with a weird look on her face.

"Huh?" She asked as she disconnected the call.

"Are you okay?" Jesse asked slowly repeating each word.

"Yeah. I just." Beca looked at the screen of her phone. "Chloe's not answering her phone. I thought she would have had it in her hand waiting to hear that everyone's safe." Beca said quietly. "Have you heard from her?" She asked Aubrey.

"No. I dropped my phone when Jesse found me." She answered.

"I'm sorry Aubrey." Beca apologized. "How are you doing? Are you alright?" Beca asked.

"I'm fine. Thanks to him." Aubrey looked up at Jesse who stood close to her. "To both of you."

There was a moment of silence between the three as they reflected on the outcome and what could have happened if they hadn't been so lucky. "Do the police know who he is or why he did this?" Aubrey asked in a small voice.

"His name is Steve Harding."

Beca turned when she heard the Australian voice behind her. "His son, Ben, was taken off life support last week. Ben was 7. He attended Hidden Hills Day Care and was critically injured in the fire. Last week the family was informed that there was nothing else that could be done for their son, so they made the decision to end life support. Mr. Harding's wife, Lacy, was found at their home two days ago. Suicide." Amy told them.

"I recognized him." Beca said sadly. "I wasn't sure where I had seen him before but I knew his face."

She felt Jesse's hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her. There were no words needed for this tragedy. Nothing that could be said.

"Thanks for telling us." Jesse said to Amy.

"That's not actually why I came over here." Amy replied. She turned to Beca, "You're going to need to come with me."

Confusion passed over Beca's face. "Why? I already gave my statement to the cops inside."

"I'm not here for that Shorty." Amy replied quickly as a smile appeared on her face. "We had a small problem with someone in the crowd today. They pretty much lost their shit and started insulting the police. Her language was very colorful and I would have probably laughed it off but the arresting officer is a rook soooo." Amy shrugged. "I was able to convinced them to not bring her in but I'm going to need you to assume responsibility for her."

The three still looked confused as to who Amy was talking about.

"A Miss Chloe Beale." She replied with a smirk.

"You're fucking kidding me" Beca replied quickly.

"Follow me." Amy instructed.

Beca followed a few steps behind Amy as they weaved in and out of the area the police had set up and were working from. Amy turned around and smiled as they approached the back of a squad car. Beca looked around Amy to see red hair through the back window leaning to the side. Beca couldn't contain the smile on her face. She reached forward quickly and grabbed Amy's arm. "Wait."

Amy stopped at her request. She watched as the Lieutenant pulled her phone from her back pocket and slowly approached the back passenger window.

Beca snapped a photo of Chloe leaning with her head pressed tightly to the window a sad look on her face. She lightly tapped the glass causing Chloe's head to shoot up. The photo she got of her face in that moment was priceless. Then when Chloe's face turned to annoyance that Beca was enjoying seeing her in this situation, Beca took one more picture. She shoved the phone back in her pocket and reached for the car handle.

"What ya doing in there Chlo?" Beca asked playfully once the door was open. Chloe sat in the back of the police cruiser hand's still cuffed behind her back.

"Oh my God please do not tease me right now. This is so embarrassing." Chloe said quickly.

Beca crouched down so she was eye to eye with the redhead. "I think it's kind of hot." Beca whispered. She leaned forward and softly placed her lips on Chloe's. 20 minutes ago she wasn't sure if she would be able to do that ever again. She pulled her mouth back and rested her forehead against Chloe's.

"You're okay?" Chloe breathed softly.

"Yeah" Beca answered.

"What about Aubrey?" Chloe asked.

"She's okay. She's with Jesse right now." Beca replied. She felt Chloe slipped her forehead off of hers and drop her head to her shoulder resting her face in the crook of Beca's neck.

"Thank you" Chloe whispered, punctuating her words with a kiss to Beca's neck.

"Wanna get out of here?" Beca asked.

"Yes please." Chloe answered quickly.

Beca pulled away and turned her head to give Chloe one more quick kiss before standing back up. "Okay Amy. What do I need to do?" Beca asked turning back toward her Australian friend.

"Just keep this little fireball out of trouble and I'll make it go away." Amy said with a smile. She looked to her right and snapped her fingers towards a group of cops. One of them quickly made their way over to her. "Un-cuff her." Amy ordered.

 **XxXxXx**

"Where are we?" Chloe asked as Beca pulled up to a large home in an expensive area of Hidden Hills.

After being released by Amy, Chloe and Beca went back to check on Aubrey and Jesse. After seeing that her best friend was okay and seeing that the blonde didn't have any intention of leaving Jesse's side for the next few days while the trauma of the experience wore off, Chloe followed Beca back to her apartment. She was just out of her car when Beca asked her to take a drive with her. She jumped into Beca's jeep and the brunette took off.

"This is my mom's house." Beca said looking up at the large brick two story home.

"Um okay," Chloe replied hesitantly. "Why are we here?"

Beca turned towards Chloe. "I want to take that drive with you. Down the coast. Or up the coast. I don't really care which one." Beca shook her head. "But I want to get away. Just you and me."

Chloe smiled brilliantly.

"And I want to do it now. Like leave tonight or tomorrow but I don't want to wait." Beca said quickly. She reached forward and slid her hand in Chloe's. She pulled up the redhead's arm and turned the hand to kiss the back of her hand. "Will you go away with me?" She asked.

Chloe nodded quickly. "I'd love too."

Beca smiled. She dropped Chloe's hand and turned back to the house. "Well, let's go ask my mommy if it's okay." She teased. Beca got out of the car and waited for Chloe to join her. She linked their hands and walked up the long brick walk way. Once they made it to the front door Beca reached forwards and rang the bell. A pleasant melody could be heard chiming inside and moments later the door opened quickly.

"Beca" Her mother greeted with a smile that waivered as she greeted the other woman, "Miss. Beale."

"Mom" Beca said sternly. "This is Chloe. She's my girlfriend." Beca said introducing Chloe as something other than just another teacher at her mom's school.

Evelyn returned her eyes to Beca's and then back to the redhead. "I see. Well I'm a little surprised to hear that. You see the last time Miss. Beale and I spoke she informed me that you were just friends."

"Cut the shit mom." Beca said quickly. "I understand that Chloe works for you and all but damn ease up a little bit. She doesn't need to be interrogated by my mother at work." Beca said quickly. "And since when do you care who I date? I thought you'd be happy that I found a nice girl. And fucking ecstatic that I came here to tell you about it. That I'm not shutting you out."

Chloe squeezed Beca's hands silently thanking her for sticking up to her mother.

"Also" Beca said losing a little confidence. "I'm here to ask you for a favor."

Evelyn cocked her head to the side.

"I want to take Chloe away for a few days and I need you to give her some time off work." Beca said quickly. "Please" She added respectfully.

Beca's mother softened as she looked at her daughter. "That look. The one she has right now" Evelyn said looking at Beca but speaking to Chloe. Chloe turned her head to look at Beca. "She got that look from her dad. He would get that look in his eyes when he knew he was pushing his luck."

Beca smirked.

"Come inside." Evelyn requested as she pushed the door open further and stepped aside.

Beca pulled Chloe through the large home.

"Would you like something to drink?" Evelyn offered.

"Um, no thanks mom. We really didn't come to sit and talk." Beca replied quickly. "I just wanted to ask you if you could give her a few days." Beca requested again. "She didn't know I was going to do this so don't think that she's not taking her responsibility as a teacher seriously." Beca rolled her eyes.

"Miss. Beale" Evelyn said and then stopped to correct herself, "Chloe, is an excellent teacher and I would never think she's taking her responsibilities at the school lightly. Although," Evelyn paused and looked directly at Chloe. "You ran out of school today, without making myself or anyone at the office aware of an emergency."

"Yes Ma'am." Chloe answered. "I'm so sorry. I did have an emergency." Chloe began to explain.

"There was a situation at the hospital and I was there." Beca said quickly.

"Is everything okay? Are you okay?" Evelyn asked quickly.

"I'm fine." Beca answered.

"I'm sorry for leaving without letting you know. I didn't have a class and while I know it was still not the correct way to handle it, I promise I would never leave students unattended." Chloe said quickly.

Evelyn sat quiet for a few seconds looking at the couple across from her. Her daughter looked different than the last time she saw her. Different than she had ever seen her. A thought suddenly flooded her mind. "How much time do you need?" She asked Chloe who immediately didn't know the answer.

"Tomorrow, Friday, Monday and Tuesday." Beca answered. She felt Chloe's eyes on her. She turned and gave the redhead a quick wink.

"You have your lesson plans in order?" She asked the art teacher.

"Yes ma'am. Well mostly. I was working on them this afternoon right before I left. This week is finished but I just have a couple of things to add for next week." Chloe answered. "Maybe I can go in early tomorrow and finish up?" Chloe asked both women at the same time.

"That won't be necessary Chloe. I'm sure a substitute can manage." Evelyn said with a smile.

"So she can have the time?" Beca asked.

"Yes." Evelyn smiled. "Under one condition." She added.

Beca sighed. "Of course. There's a catch." She said sarcastically.

"I'd like to have you both for dinner next week after you get back from your trip. Say Wednesday night?" Evelyn replied.

"I can't on Wednesday." Beca answered quickly. She hadn't had a chance to tell Chloe she was going back to work and didn't really want to tell her in front of her mother. "But I promise that we will. You have my word." Beca added.

They shared a quiet moment and a smile before Beca stood quickly pulling Chloe up with her. "Thanks mom."

They made it back to Beca's jeep before Chloe spoke. "Where are we going?" She asked giddy.

Beca shrugged. "Does it matter?"

Chloe smiled. Her bright blue eyes met stormy blue. "No it doesn't."

* * *

 **AN: Maybe a chapter of fluffy stuff? Let me know what you guys are thinking...**


	29. Chapter 28

"I left a note" Chloe said as she pulled the door of Beca's jeep closed behind her.

"You didn't see them" Beca asked with an unpleasant look on her face.

"See?" Chloe asked. "No."

Beca nodded.

"Hear?" Chloe smiled knowing it was grossing Beca out. "Totes."

Beca's eyes closed. "Nasty." She mumbled as she started her Jeep and began to back out of Chloe's driveway.

"It's not. They like it each other. Of course they're going to enjoy each other." Chloe said reaching over to pat Beca's thigh. "We do." She teased with a wink.

"Yeah but you don't know Jesse like I do." Beca replied as she drove through Hidden Hills Thursday morning.

"Oh?" Chloe asked her eyebrows raised high. "How exactly do you know Jesse?"

"Gross. No." Beca laughed. "Never like that."

Chloe looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"We live together most of the time so I know his bad habits and how gross he can be. His room is next to mine at the fire house and that dude can be gross. Like how he never wears shower shoes in the showers. Which he totally admitted to me that he's peed in. And I've been in the men's locker room before and I would never ever walk barefoot in there." Beca shivered at the thought. "He clips his toe nails on his bed, which is just so nasty. Like who does that?" She asked. "And he blows his nose in shirts that he pulls out of his dirty close hamper."

"He sounds like a guy babe." Chloe giggled. "And don't worry, Aubrey will fix all those things."

"He's like the annoying nasty brother I never asked for." Beca mumbled.

Chloe smiled. She knew Beca loved Jesse. They were family. She suddenly sat up straighter with her last thought. Beca saw her posture change out of the corner of her eye.

"What?" She asked the redhead.

"Does Jesse have any family?" She asked. "I've never heard you or him speak of them."

"Um." Beca squinted her eyes together. "He does. His father moved to Utah about 5 years ago and his little brother is in the Navy. He's been stationed in New Orleans for the last few years." Beca answered.

"Are they close?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean closer than me and my mom that's for sure." She answered.

"What about Jesse's mother?" Chloe asked.

"She died when he was a kid. 7 I think." Beca replied. "Cancer" She answered before Chloe had a chance to ask.

"I'm glad that you two have each other." Chloe smiled and Beca mimicked it.

"Okay" Beca said as she pulled the Jeep over to the shoulder on the side of Highway 27. "Do you want to go north" Beca pointed to the left "or south?" She asked pointing to the right and turning towards the redhead.

Chloe looked in both directions trying to decide.

"Left." Chloe said with a nervous yet excited smile on her face.

"NorCal it is." Beca smiled and pulled back on the road turning left.

A few hours later Beca found herself walking through the sand after having left a beach side taco stand. With lunch in her hand a Corona sticking out of the back pocket of her jeans she pushed out her butt towards the seated redhead. Chloe pulled the ice cold bottle from Beca's back pocket and sat it in the sand between them. Beca planted her feet and then gently plopped down next to Chloe who sat overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

"Thanks" Chloe said as she took the offered taco.

"So" Beca said as she took a bite of the fresh fish taco. She chewed quickly. "We're like 3 more hours from San Francisco." She said then swallowed.

Chloe nodded her head as she ate and listened to the brunette.

"Cool if we stop there tonight?" Beca asked.

"Of course baby." Chloe replied quickly. "I already told you. I'm up for whatever, just as long as I with you I don't really care."

Beca smiled brilliantly and Chloe took the opportunity to lean in for a gentle kiss. The three words she said the day before were on her lips and she knew they would more than likely spill out again during this trip but she decided to hold them back for now because she still wasn't sure if Beca had heard her before or if the call was disconnected to soon.

After the kiss they each turned their attention back to their lunch and the ocean momentarily before Chloe spoke. "If you weren't a firefighter, what would you be?" She asked curiously. She watched Beca's brow furrow.

"I've never thought of being anything else." Beca answered honestly.

"Never?" Chloe asked skeptically.

Beca took a bite and shook her head. "No." She mumbled with a full mouth.

"I always wished I was a famous ballerina." Chloe said shyly.

Beca's head turned quickly towards her girlfriend. She reached for the bottle and twisted off the cap quickly. She took a long pull and sat it back in the sand between them.

"My parent's indulged me for like 2 years." She giggled at the memory. "I was horrible. And my feet always hurt so I quit. I was like" Chloe thought back, "11." She blushed at the childhood fantasy.

"I bet you were precious." Beca teased.

Chloe's face lit up. "Oh I was."

"Childhood fantasies aside?" Beca asked with a shoulder bump. "What made you become a teacher?"

Chloe shrugged. "I kind of fell into it. There was this community center not too far from campus. Bree and I would both volunteer on weekends and they were looking for an art teacher." Chloe smiled. "I've been painting since I was a freshman in high school and so when I saw the posting I asked if I could lead it. It was amazing so I figured, why not get paid for something that I love doing."

"I know exactly what you mean." Beca agreed.

"Okay, I'm sorry" Chloe said quickly with a raised eyebrow. She reached for the bottle and took a swig of the amber liquid. "How can you love what you do?" She asked. "I mean, please don't misunderstand me babe. But it is just so dangerous. I can understand that you were called to it but how can you love it?" Chloe asked seriously.

Beca knew what she was asking. Chloe wasn't meaning to be mean or condescending in any way. "I just want to help people. I don't need to be a 'hero'" she said using air quotes, "I think lots of people are heroes so I don't really think of myself like that. And I'm not afraid of fire. I don't know why but I've never been. Maybe it's because of my dad." Beca said thinking. "I don't know but the danger part" Beca repeated, "is a huge part of why I love it." Beca admitted. "I love the adrenaline rush. The way I feel when I enter the building. I know that nothing is going to stop me from helping the people inside. Jesse would probably answer this question differently because it's different for everyone but when that heat hits me and I can barely see but I know there are people you need me, I feel unbeatable, unstoppable. I feel like I could fly." Beca said gently. She was nervous for Chloe's reaction.

Chloe turned her head to look back over the ocean. They sat quietly until they'd finished their shared beer. Chloe thinking about why Beca loved being a firefighter. It scared her that Beca wasn't scared.

"Travel photographer." Beca answered.

"What?" Chloe asked turning toward Beca who finished off the last of the beer.

"If I had to do something else, I'd be a travel photographer." Beca clarified. Chloe sat looking at her waiting for an explanation. "I don't really travel a whole lot. Well at all actually but sometimes at night at the firehouse when I can't sleep, I look through pictures online of all these amazing places that people go to. I've never been there and I probably never will be but I always thought it would be cool to take pictures of amazing beautiful places to maybe inspire people to go there for themselves. So" Beca mumbled, "I think that would be a cool job." She admitted while her hands played in the sand.

Chloe couldn't contain her smile. Listening to Beca talk about anything was quickly becoming one of her favorite things to do. "Do you have a camera?" Chloe asked. "Like one for photography?"

Beca shook her head. "No."

Chloe nodded. She'd packed her camera like she'd always done when going on trips. She made a plan to surprise Beca with it later. Chloe smiled. "I think you'd make an amazing travel photographer." She cooed.

 **XxXxXx**

"Hello?" Jesse said tiredly after hanging off the bed and pulling his phone from the pocket of his jeans that were discarded on the floor. He rolled back over looking over at Aubrey who was still asleep.

"Jesse hey it's Stacie" the EMT greeted.

"Yeah. Hi. Stace. What's up?" He asked. He felt a hand move across his chest and turned to meet Aubrey's blue green eyes.

"Beca won't pick up her phone." Stacie said quickly. "Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah, she's um" Jesse said trying to wake himself up. "She went out of town."

"Out of town?" Stacie questioned.

"Yeah, she and Chloe went a way for a few days." Jesse supplied. "What's up?" He asked.

"Oh." Stacie tried to hide the sadness. She was happy for her friend but she still hadn't resolved her feelings for the brunette. "Amy just told me something interesting and I wanted to pass it on to her."

"What did Amy tell you?" Jesse asked suddenly finding himself wide away.

"She said the PD had been going through the surveillance cameras in the hospital and she thought it was interesting that Luke had been there every day. The camera showed him going into Tom's ICU room every day for like 45 minutes." Stacie answered.

"Okay. So?" Jesse questioned.

"It's just kind of weird don't you think?" Stacie asked. "I mean Amy and I've been living next door to Jessica for like 2 years and we've never seen Tom over there. I had no idea they knew each other."

"I don't know Stace" Jesse replied quietly.

"Don't you think that's kind of weird?" Stacie asked. "What would he be doing in Tom's room?"

"Did you ask Jessica?" Jesse asked.

"No. She's not home. I think she's working but as soon as she gets home I'm gonna ask her." Stacie replied. "Do you think Chloe would know if they know each other?"

"I guess Chloe would know." Jesse replied. Aubrey lifted her head at the sound of her best friend's name. She was silently asking Jesse what he was talking about. "I mean maybe? I don't know."

"Well if Beca calls you can you tell her to call me?" Stacie asked.

"Yeah sure." Jesse replied.

"Do you think she's avoiding me Jesse?" Stacie asked in a small voice.

"No, why would you ask that?" He asked.

"Don't know. It's just" Stacie paused. "She's got Chloe now so, I kind of feel" She paused again "alone I guess."

Jesse's heart broke slightly for his friend. "You're not alone Stacie. I'm sure Beca's not avoiding you but if I hear from her I'll tell her to call you. Okay?"

"Okay. Thanks Jess" Stacie replied.

 **XxXxXx**

"Can I get you ladies a drink?" The waiter asked.

Beca was on her tip toes working on sliding the large red disk into the right slot so she wasn't paying attention to the young man behind them. Winning the game of jumbo connect four was more important.

"I'll have a mojito and she'll have a Corona." Chloe answered for the both of them.

Beca smiled as she watched the disk settle to the bottom blocking Chloe's path to four in a row and a victory.

"You are having too much fun with this game." Chloe teased as she picked up her yellow disk and easily slid it in already planning hers and Beca's next move in her head.

"Whatever." Beca replied as she eyed the board again.

"This is such a cool hotel." Chloe said looking around them. The large outdoor space had tons of seating. Loads of different games. Outdoor heaters and fire pits. And an amazing few of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. "How'd you find it?" She asked.

"Yelp." Beca answered quickly. "While we were driving in."

"So, I was thinking." Chloe said quickly watching the waiter approach them with their drinks. "I propose the winner of this game gets to decide what we do next." She said quickly.

"Interesting wager" Beca said still looking at the board.

"Because I'm pretty sure I'm going to win." Chloe teased.

Beca's shoulders slumped as she looked up at the board. It was inevitable. Chloe was going to win. Again.

"Here baby" She said offering the cold beer to her as a consolation.

"Thanks" Beca took it. She threw her head back taking a long drink admitting defeat. "So, go ahead. Officially kick my ass."

Chloe smiled as she released the straw from between her teeth. She sat her drink on a small table slapping Beca on the ass as she past her. She picked up the yellow disk and let it fall into place. Officially winning. Again.

Beca rolled her eyes. "So. Winner picks."

"I was thinking." Chloe said softly as she approached Beca. Wrapping her arms around Beca's neck and pulling her body flush to the firefighters. "This hotel is really cool on the outside but we haven't really seen the inside yet." Chloe teased a soft kiss to Beca's neck. "Maybe we could spend some time in the room?" She asked softly.

"Sounds like a fucking great plan." Beca agreed. She met Chloe's lips gently at first but then when she felt Chloe's soft tongue on her lip she opened her mouth and deepened the kiss. Chloe jumped slightly when the cold bottle in Beca's left hand brush against the skin of her lower back.

"Sorry" Beca replied with a smirk. "You needed to cool off a bit."

"Oh I'm just getting started baby." Chloe whispered in Beca's ear.

"I'll settle the bill. Be right back." Beca said quickly before releasing Chloe and heading towards the bar.

Chloe watched Beca walk away. Her words from earlier on the beach rolled through her head again. She was in love with this girl and maybe it hadn't been a long time since they'd known each other but it didn't matter to the art teacher. She knew. She knew that with Beca she could be herself. She knew that with Beca she wouldn't be pushed to do something she didn't want to do. She knew that with Beca she was safe. She was protected and maybe the brunette hadn't said it yet and she probably didn't realize it herself but she looked at Chloe with love in her eyes. She heard Beca's voice pull her from her thoughts.

"Babe?" Beca asked. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Chloe said snapping back to reality.

"You still want to go up to the room?" Beca asked worry written all over her face from Chloe's sudden change in demeanor.

Chloe smiled. "Yes." She was absolutely sure she wanted that. She wanted all of Beca and she wanted Beca to have all of her.

Beca held her hand and led them through the growing crowd into the hotel and towards the elevator. They rode up to the 8th floor in comfortable silence. Chloe held Beca's hand with both of hers as she stood slightly behind the firefighter resting her chin comfortably on Beca's shoulder. She wanted to say it so badly. At this point she was fighting herself to keep the words in. She needed to tell Beca that she loved her and she so desperately wanted to hear them said back to her. Her mouth opened just as the elevator doors began to part and she felt her arm being pulled forward but her feet didn't move. She saw Beca turn back towards her with a questioning look on her face. She needed to tell Beca she loved her but that's not what came out in a small voice. "Baby, you know you can't fly right?"

* * *

 **AN: What's up guys... ya'll still out there? Let me know what your thinking and any theories you may have.**


	30. Chapter 29

**AN1: So I got a couple of question's about what Chloe said at the end of the last chapter. I wanted to clear that up for those of you that may have been confused. I was trying to be cleaver referencing a comment that Beca made when explaining to Chloe why she loved her job. Why she loved the adrenaline and the danger. Chloe could have said a number of things but that's what came out because it was Beca's last comments to her on the subject. Any way, that's where that came from.**

* * *

"Chloe" Beca whispered. The look on Chloe's face was mixed. Mixed with fear. Mixed with sadness. Mixed with worry. And something else Beca thought she saw. She stepped forward towards the redhead as the elevator doors began to close.

"I'm sorry" Chloe apologized quickly her eyes doubling in size realizing the words that left her mouth. "I didn't mean to say that. It just kind of came out. I'm sorry"

"Yeah" Beca breathed as she turned back to hit the door open button, "but you were obviously thinking it."

The doors opened again and Beca continued and pulled Chloe behind her.

"No wait" Chloe protested pulling them to a stop. "That's not what I meant."

"Can we just get in the room please before we have this conversation?" Beca asked quietly.

Chloe looked around. The hallway was empty.

"Please?" Beca asked again.

Chloe nodded and continued behind Beca, refusing to let go of the firefighter's hand. Seconds later Beca pulled the key card out of her back pocket and slid it into the door unlocking it. Once inside Chloe dropped Beca's hand and closed the door. Beca kicked her shoes off onto the floor and plopped down on the bed bouncing slightly.

"I'm sorry" Chloe apologized again standing in front of Beca.

"I know Chloe." Beca said quickly. "I know I'm not able t" She stopped as she looked for the right words. "It was just an expression. It's just a feeling I get when I'm in that situation." She tried to explain. "But I know I'm not invincible." It almost pained Beca to admit it.

"I love you." Chloe whispered. She felt so many things once those words were finally out of her mouth. Emotions flashed through her in seconds and seconds felt like minutes and hours. Relief. Relief that it finally came out. Relief that something else didn't slip out. Something like I want to be with you. Forever. That was something she'd continue to keep to herself for the time being. After the relief wore off she suddenly felt nervous. Nervous about the words that she just said. Nervous if Beca would say it back. Nervous that if Beca did say it back it would just be so that she didn't make her sad. Nervous about the way Beca was sitting there looking at her. Nervous that Beca wasn't moving. Nervous that Beca wasn't saying anything. The nervousness quickly morphed into anxiety. She couldn't read Beca in this moment. The brunette was sitting their looking at her with her big navy eyes. Not saying anything. Just sitting and looking. Anxiety turned into a full blown panic as she felt more words begin to rise in her chest and a hand clamped over her mouth to keep them in. To keep herself from apologizing for something she truly meant. To keep herself from saying something that was untrue like 'just kidding.'

"What?" Beca finally pushed out of her mouth in a breathless whisper. She sat looking up at Chloe. A strange feeling flooded her body as soon as she heard what she thought she heard. Relief because she knew she loved Chloe too. Relief that the teacher felt the same. Suddenly she felt nervous. Beca sat wondering, should she say it back? Would Chloe think she said it because she meant it or because she felt like she had to say it? Nervous because Chloe seemed to be changing her mind right in front of her. The words were on the tip of her tongue when anxiety it her hard. She'd never said those words to someone before and truly meant it. How was she going to explain that when that conversation inevitably came up. Sure, she'd said those three words to a lover here and there but she said them because they were convenient. She'd said them because it was what the other woman wanted to hear and at the time it kept things easy. It got hard once she confessed that she didn't love them. How would she explain that to Chloe? How could she explain that this time was different? And it was different. It felt completely different. That she was different. The realization of that hit Beca hard and she started to panic. Chloe's hand slapped across her mouth bringing Beca out of her head. Shutting off her internal argument. Maybe she heard her wrong.

Chloe's hand slid off her mouth slowly. She was going to have to explain herself. She was going to have to say it again. "I love you." She repeated, biting the bullet.

Beca gulped hearing confirmation that she heard her right the first time. Relief. Nervousness. Anxiety. Panic.

"You don't have to say it back" Chloe said quickly. She reached forward and tucked a loose strand of Beca's hair behind her right ear. "I mean you can if you want." She smiled sweetly. "But you're not obligated to." Chloe stepped back. She wrapped her arms around her body to feel some sort of comfort because she still wasn't receiving anything from Beca. Chloe walked to the large floor to ceiling window and admired the view as the sun began to set over the Golden Gate Bridge. "I just wanted you to know." Chloe continued as she looked at the bay and a line of sail boats in the distance. "And maybe it's too early in our relationship to say that." She shrugged, "but it's how I feel and I needed to tell you." Her voice was soft as she spoke. "I wanted you to know that you are loved. That I love you. That I'm in love with you."

Beca stood from the bed slowly. She placed her hands softly on Chloe's hips and slid them around her stomach linking them together as she pulled herself tightly up against Chloe. Beca placed a kiss on the base of Chloe's neck and then rested her chin on her shoulder. "When I was a junior in high school I made out with Amber Spring on the soccer field of my mom's private school." Beca smirked at the memory. "I told her that I loved her because that's what you did when you were a horny teenager. You said those words freely and willingly without really knowing their meaning. I said them to her hoping she would sleep with me. Which she did. I said them to her because my mother hated that poor girl and it was a way of hurting her because she would never be as good as my dad. I used those words but I never felt those words." Beca said as she held Chloe close to her. She could feel the redhead breathing. It wasn't easy and consistent. It was erratic. Sometimes shallow and sometimes deep. "The next time I said them was a few years ago. I'd met this girl at 10-70. She was looking for something. A pension maybe? I don't really know."

"What does that mean? Looking for a pension?" Chloe asked her voice strained from emotion as she listened to Beca speak about her past.

"Um" Beca breathed, "it means that she was looking for something consistent. Safe. When a firefighter or police officer dies, their spouse would receive a payout benefit. From time to time women and men come around because they know that we have a dangerous job and they could get something from it." Beca swallowed. "We all usually know who these women are., it's not hard to spot. They offer companionship and sometimes it lasts and they get the payout. It's just something that happens. "

Chloe nodded. She wrapped her hands around Beca's hands that were laced together just above her waist.

"Anyway" Beca continued. "We saw each other fairly regularly. It wasn't serious for me. It was just, easy. God that sounds horrible." Beca tried to pull her hands from around Chloe but was stopped by Chloe's hands holding her in place. "She told me a couple of times that she loved me and maybe she really did. I don't know but I said it back to her once because I thought that's what I was supposed to do." Beca squeezed Chloe again feeling more confident. "Those words have never really meant that much to me Chloe."

Chloe's breath hitched. She didn't mean for Beca to feel it but there was no way she couldn't.

"Probably because I never really knew what they felt like. How they should feel." Beca realized why in the same moment she said it out loud. "But I love you." She felt Chloe's breath hitch again. Beca waited a moment for the redhead to calm her breathing. "And to be honest. It scares the shit out of me Chloe."

Chloe's body jerked forward with a teary laugh. "I'm scared too" Chloe admitted. She wanted to turn in Beca's arms but the brunette held her tightly in place.

"I think it's a good kind of scared. I mean I fought this feeling so hard because I didn't want to feel anything. I didn't want complicated. I just wanted things to continue as they had been for the last few years. Things were regular. They had a certain pulse to them. Each day was the same as the day before as the day before that. I had a routine. And I was comfortable in it." Beca sighed and smiled. "Then you showed up." Her smiled got bigger. "And God you're beautiful. And smart. And an amazing painter. And from what my mom say's you're a great teacher." Beca squeezed Chloe harder releasing her a second later. "And that says a lot because my mom doesn't give away complements very often. And I liked you immediately. I don't really understand why but I couldn't keep my eyes off of you and I couldn't stop thinking about you. And you keep beating me at things. I mean seriously how are you so good at games?" Beca asked earning a laugh from Chloe. "But I know me and I know what I'm capable of and I didn't want to hurt you so I pushed you away."

"You tried." Chloe whispered softly leaning her head back against Beca's shoulder.

"I did. But you stuck around. I don't know when I fell in love with you but I know I am." Beca said softly. "I'm in love with you too."

Chloe's eyes closed as emotions flooded her body. Relief that Beca felt the same way. Nervous for what this meant and what would happen next. Anxiety because her job was dangerous and panic at the thought of losing her without warning. She felt her body stiffen and she felt Beca's breath on her neck a second later. Then her soft lips.

Beca placed her lips on the small freckle on Chloe's neck. She suddenly realized that she wanted to kiss every one of Chloe's freckles. She wanted to kiss every inch of her body. She ran her tongue softly up Chloe's carotid artery that she could feel pulsing under her until she reached the redhead's ear lobe.

Chloe's head tilted to the side giving Beca more access to her skin. She was glad that Beca's arms were wrapped around her because as the firefighter slowly kissed and licked her body she felt her knees begin to buckle and her heart begin to pound. She removed her hands from Beca's and placed her palms against the window in an attempt to brace herself against something in case she passed out. It was all too soft. Too emotional.

Beca captured Chloe's delicate earlobe between her lips and between her teeth as she worked her way up. She quickly slipped her tongue in Chloe's ear before pulling back quickly. Beca opened her eyes to see Chloe's hands on the window. Seeing the affect she was having on the redhead who stood stiff, almost afraid to move a muscle amused her. Beca smiled quickly before moving her hands up to grab one of Chloe's breasts in each hand. She squeezed them softly leaving her right hand wrapped around Chloe's chest but dropping her left hand to the waist band of the redhead's black jeans. She expertly unbuttoned the top button giving her enough room to sink her hand inside Chloe's pants and over the lacy fabric of her panties. She ran her hand the length of Chloe's pussy feeling the moisture through the thin fabric. Beca's lips returned to Chloe's neck quickly. She alternated between gently sucking and kissing the skin as Chloe's hips bucked backwards into her seeking friction. Beca pulled her hands from Chloe's pants and breast quickly and turned the redhead around.

Chloe felt dizzy at the sudden loss of contact and then suddenly she was facing Beca. She felt Beca's lips on hers and a tongue slip into her mouth. Again Chloe found the window. This time with her back as she was being pressed up against it. Her arms extended down and her palms were once again pressed against the glass as Beca continued to overwhelm her.

Beca pulled her lips from Chloe so that she could look down. She needed to see what she was doing as she unzipped Chloe's jeans and pulled them down enough to give her more access. Once she was satisfied for the moment with that she moved up and grabbed the bottom of Chloe's stripped long sleeve shirt. She pulled the cotton fabric up over Chloe's head quickly.

The redhead raised her arms to allow the shirt to leave her body and then violently slammed her hands back down to the cool window seeking something to keep her grounded. She felt Beca's lips briefly on her lips before they were attached to her chest. Her senses were being attacked. Chloe closed her eyes tightly eliminating one for a moment. Smell. She could smell herself. She could smell how aroused she was as Beca's hands pushed down her jeans down past her hips and down her legs to her ankles. She felt her ass press up against the cool glass of the window. The rest of her body was on fire. The cool window felt good. Touch. Beca's hands ran back up her legs leaving a trail of heat behind them. Beca's mouth at her panty line. The pressure of Beca's tongue through the lace of her underwear. Beca's finger tips against her hips. The feel of her panties being pulled from her body. Beca's lips at the top of her pussy and her tongue dipping down to lick her. The feel of the back of her head hitting the window as her body jerked. Sound. The moan that left her body when she felt Beca's tongue give a long lick to her and then two finger's push inside of her. The sound of her breathing heavily as she stood leaning up against the large window overlooking San Francisco bay. The sound of Beca's lips pulling from her body with a smack before reattaching themselves again. The sound of her begging for Beca not to stop. Begging for her to keep going and keep hitting that spot. The sound of her cumming. Taste. The taste of herself on Beca's lips. On Beca's tongue. The taste of sweat as she kissed Beca's neck when the brunette pressed herself up against her, them both leaning heavily into the window. Sight. Chloe opened her eye's letting them adjust to the darkening room. She glanced over her shoulder to the sun that was half visible over the ocean. The brilliant yellow and orange hues that floated and danced across the water. The dark navy eyes looking back at her once she turned the other way to face Beca. The look in her eyes was unmistakable. It was love.

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 **AN2: Reviews, comments, suggestions much appreciated. Thanks y'all..**


	31. Chapter 30

It felt nice to be held. If felt nice to have someone so close. To feel someone else breathing calmly. It was soothing. It was comfortable. It was soothing. She felt Chloe's arms twitch around her and then instantly relax. She hadn't opened her eyes yet when she felt a pair of lips on the back of her neck. Beca smiled. If only she could wake up like this every day. The smile fell from her lips as she remembered that she wouldn't be able to wake up like this all the time. She'd wake up alone in the firehouse. If she even slept. Beca's eyes flew open. 'Shit' she cursed herself.

Chloe felt herself jump in her sleep so much that it woke her up. Opening her eyes she found herself pressed up against Beca with little room to spare, the tip of her nose almost touching the back of Beca's neck. Beca's hair was swept to the side and under her neck giving Chloe full access to soft skin. She closed the tiny distance and kissed the firefighter giving her a small squeeze. She'd never woken up with Beca like this. This was new. They'd shared a bed before but Chloe always managed to fall asleep on Beca's chest or Beca would spoon her. She never found herself in this position and she liked it. She felt like she was shielding the firefighter. Protecting her.

"I'm going back to work on Wednesday." Beca whispered. Her voice was heavy and laced with sleep.

Chloe didn't know how to respond. Their little bubble had been effectively burst. Contentment was suddenly replaced with a feeling of dread.

"Chloe?" Beca said softly as she made a move to turn in the redhead's arms.

"I heard you." Chloe replied holding Beca in place.

"Okay. And?" Beca asked.

"And what?" Chloe asked in return.

"I don't know. I mean, I was going to tell you a lot sooner but I really didn't think of it. That's the reason we can't have dinner at my mother's on Wednesday." Beca tried to explain. "I wasn't keeping it from you, I just" She was struggling and rambling, "we left for the trip and we were having such a good time it didn't really cross my mind. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"It's okay Baby." Chloe replied softly her lips returning to Beca's neck.

Beca's eyes closed slowly relishing the feeling of Chloe's tenderness on the back of her neck sending goosebumps down her back.

"I knew you'd have to go back sometime." Chloe whispered.

"Yeah" Beca agreed. She turned over to her back sliding her right arm under Chloe and pulling her on top of her smoothly.

Chloe's legs fell to either side of Beca as she straddled her. She leaned down capturing the other woman's lips in a heated kiss. Beca's hands trailed down the sides of Chloe's body coming to a stop on bare hips. Her fingers flexed and squeezed over the flesh. She pulled the hips down into her body rocking the redhead forward gently earning a soft moan that floated over her own lips.

"God you feel so good." Beca breathed between kisses.

The sound of Beca's husky voice spurred Chloe to rock her hips again needing the contact. Her hands took Beca's face as she joined their lips again. She felt Beca's hands moved around her hips to her lower back and then back down squeezing her ass. Chloe broke the kiss and let her hands fall hard to the sides of Beca's head as she began to assault her girlfriend's neck.

"Please" Beca begged softly.

Chloe smiled into the crook of Beca's neck as her tongue danced lightly over the brunette's skin. She pushed her hips down as she slowly began to work her way down brushing her lips over Beca's collar bone and then down the center of her chest. She crawled down Beca's body, ignoring the throbbing between her own legs, passing her belly button until she settled between Beca's legs.

Beca picked up her head and looked down. Chloe's bright blue eyes were looking back at her as her tongue slipped between her folds. She dropped her head back to the hotel pillow. Beca slid one of her arms behind her head as she relaxed while Chloe's mouth and tongue pleasured her, the other hand laced into red hair, gripping lightly. A deep breath escaped Beca's lungs as her stomach tightened from the jolt of Chloe's lips on her clit for a second before her tongue returned to licking.

Chloe loved the way Beca's body responded to her. She loved the way Beca's muscles tensed and she loved the way Beca breathed. She loved the feel of Beca's capable hands in her hair pressing lightly against her head. She loved the way she could make the firefighter feel. The way she looked when she came undone at her doing. She didn't love the way her phone rang loudly. Again. In the most inappropriate moments. She glanced up to see that Beca had no intention of answering it. Again. For the second day in a row. Maybe if she just answered it, it would stop ringing.

"What's wrong?" Beca asked her eyes closed tight and her hand pushing Chloe's face back down.

"The phone." Chloe said as she pushed up on her hands. She didn't want to move away from Beca completely so she crawled back up the suddenly frustrated brunette, leaning over her, dangling her breast in her face, to reach Beca's phone on the bedside table. "Answer it, please. So" She looked at the screen to confirm who it was, "Stacie will stop calling you." Chloe left out the 'again' that only sounded in her voice at the end of the sentence. She dropped it on Beca's stomach and moved to lay on her side next to the brunette who was looking at her wide eyed.

Beca finally broke her gaze from Chloe. Was she jealous? Was she pissed? What was happening? Were the questions rattling through her mind as she looked down and picked up the phone. "Hello" She answered the call.

"Finally Beca. Damn." Stacie said loudly on the other end. "I've been trying to reach you for two days. Where are you?" Stacie asked quickly.

"San Francisco." Beca answered as Chloe slowly ran a finger over her chest lightly waiting for her to finish the call so they could hopefully return to what was happening 30 seconds ago.

"San Francisco?" Stacie questioned loudly.

Beca pulled the phone away from her ear at the loud sound of her friend's voice.

"Seriously B and you couldn't answer the phone? I thought you were somewhere without service not a major city with plenty of cell phone towers." Stacie thundered.

"Stacie" Beca said calmly to get her friends attention. "What can I do for you?"

"Is Chloe with you?" Stacie asked.

Beca looked over to the redhead who was waiting patiently next to her. "Yes. She is."

Chloe's head tilted curiously.

"Oh" Stacie said quietly.

"What's going on Stace?" Beca asked. "Whatever it is just tell me."

"It's about the fires." Stacie said quietly.

"Okay, so? What about them?" Beca asked impatiently.

"Amy told me that after the cops reviewed the security footage from the hospital they saw Luke going into Tom's hospital room like every day." Stacie began. "He was in there for like 45 minutes every day."

"And?" Beca asked not thinking too much of it.

"Don't you think that's weird?" Stacie asked.

Beca's head turned quickly as Chloe flipped the sheet off her body and rolled out of bed. She followed the redhead's movements around the room. First to her suitcase and then towards the bathroom where she left the bathroom door open.

"No. I don't. He's a reporter. He's just trying to get the scoop or some shit like that." Beca replied quickly as the sound of the shower turning on floated through the room.

"Isn't Tom in a coma?" Stacie asked. "How can he get the scoop from someone who can't speak?" Stacie asked. "It's just weird Beca. Did you know Tom and Luke knew each other? Because I didn't. I've never seen them together."

"Maybe" Beca said sarcastically, "you've never seen them together because they don't know each other. Maybe, Luke is just being his usual annoying self by pestering Tom's family for a story or trying to be the first to get the interview." Beca huffed. She really wanted to be in the shower with Chloe, not alone in bed naked and horny. "Seriously Stacie. What are you getting at?"

"Ask Chloe." Stacie said quickly.

"Ask Chloe what?" Beca replied back.

"Ask Chloe if Luke and Tom know each other."

Beca sighed. "Why, pray tell, do you think Chloe would know?"

"Doesn't she know both of them?" Stacie spat. "Intimately?"

She knew it was said with malicious intent when the words left her mouth and part of her instantly regretted them. Chloe was nice. She was pretty. She really like Beca and Stacie hated that. She hated that Chloe was nice. She hated that Chloe was pretty. She hated that she really liked Beca and that Beca really liked her back. Because she wasn't her and Stacie was jealous.

"You know what." Beca said angrily. She was losing her cool with Stacie. She knew how the tall paramedic felt about her but she didn't return those feelings and she never pretended too. "Don't do that. Don't say things you don't know anything about because you're jealous or angry or hurt. And really Stace, you don't have a right to be any of those things. I never ever led you on. I love you I do, but we are friends and nothing more. Please don't say things about Chloe that will make things between us awkward."

Stacie was listening to Beca intently. What she said was true it was and she didn't call her to fight about their non-existent romantic relationship but here they were and she was growing more upset with her un-requited feelings by the second. "You can't see past her baby blue eyes can you?" Stacie said knowing she was picking the fight. Knowing nothing good would come of it. "You can't see what's right in front of your face because a pretty little teacher waltzed into town, batted her eyelashes at you and tossed her red hair over her shoulder and you fawned all over her. I'm come on Beca. What do you know about Chloe? Because she just kind of showed up. And then all of this shit started." Stacie was rambling. She didn't mean to link Chloe to the fires. That wasn't her intent but it came out that way but she couldn't stop her mouth. "And she happens to know both Tom and Luke who all of a sudden seem to know each other? And nobody, I mean nobody, knew they had any type of connection other than her. How do you explain that?" Stacie asked loudly.

Beca was silent. She couldn't believe her ears. She couldn't believe what Stacie had just insinuated. She couldn't believe that Stacie had accused her of being blinded by Chloe and not able to see that she was what? Involved in this? "Are you fucking serious right now?" Beca asked but didn't give Stacie a chance to respond. "No, you know what? You can't be serious. You can't actually think that Chloe has anything to do with what's been happening. You can't be accusing me of being such a fucking loser that I be too blinded by lust to see what a horrible person Chloe could be because we are sleeping together. You can't be saying that she along with Luke Bowers and Tom, I don't even know his last name, are responsible for all of the fires. That they are targeting the fire department. That they are responsible for killing people. You can't be seriously saying that." Beca yelled.

"What if I am?" Stacie said simply. Her voice calm and smooth.

"Fuck you Stacie." Beca was irate as disconnected the call immediately and toss the phone across the bed.

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 **AN: EEEKK. Thoughts on what just went down between Beca and Stacie?**


	32. Chapter 31

Both of Beca's hands were laced in her hair as she laid motionless on the bed replaying the argument with Stacie in her mind. Tom and Luke. Luke and Tom. And Chloe. She rolled her eyes and shook the names from her head. It wasn't possible. With a huff she rolled over and sat up quickly tossing her legs over the side of the bed. Her feet hit the ground and she was off the bed in no time walking angrily towards her suitcase. She rifled through the contents finding a pair of underwear, her sweatpants, a sports bra, t-shirt and socks. Standing in front of the bag she began getting dressed starting from the bottom up.

"Where are you going?" Chloe asked as she emerged from the bathroom with a towel around her chest.

"For a run." Was Beca's simple answer.

"A run?" Chloe questioned.

"Yes" Beca said quickly as she pulled her LAFD t-shirt over her head.

Chloe frowned as she watched Beca get dressed. She could hear her yelling from in the shower but she couldn't make out what Beca was saying. "Is everything okay? Do you want me to come with you?" Chloe asked.

"Everything's fine." Beca mumbled. She hopped on her right foot a couple of times as she slid her left shoe on.

"Okay. Do you want me to come?" Chloe asked.

"No. I don't" Beca snapped angrily. She didn't mean too. "I just need to be alone right now."

"What happened? With Stacie on the phone?" Chloe asked as Beca brushed past her without a word. She watched the brunette open the hotel room door and disappear on the on the other side leaving her alone.

 **XxXxXx**

"Yo Stace. You okay?" Cynthia Rose asked as she sat on the side of her bed in their shared room in the firehouse. She'd heard some of the conversation from down the hall. She wasn't snooping or eves dropping but when she heard Stacie's raised voice she stopped short of their room in favor of giving her partner some privacy.

Stacie didn't reply she just shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes.

"Was that Beca?" CR asked softly.

Stacie nodded. Her feelings were beginning to bubble over. She didn't want to cry but she wasn't going to be able to help it. She felt guilty for accusing Chloe. Horrible that she insinuated Beca couldn't see it. Sad because she was once again rejected by the firefighter. And she felt alone.

"What's going on with you?" CR asked as she stood from her bed and crossed the room. She sat down next to Stacie and wrapped her arm around her. Stacie's head found CR's shoulder as the tears began to slide down her cheeks.

"I love her." Stacie sobbed.

CR breathed deeply and held Stacie a little tighter. "Yeah. I know" She whispered as she let her partner cry on her shoulder.

"But she doesn't" Stacie began to say but stopped unable to continue.

"I know." CR repeated.

Stacie took a couple of deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down. "She hates me."

"She doesn't hate you Stacie." CR said quickly.

"She does. I screwed up so bad."

"What did you do?" CR asked.

Stacie lifted her head from CR's shoulder and turned to face her. She wiped under her eyes with her fingers trying to clear off any mascara that had ran down her cheeks. "I found something out from Amy about the fires and I called Beca to tell her." Stacie breathed out hard through her mouth. "She's away with Chloe and I got jealous." She rolled her eyes at herself. "I've been jealous" She admitted. "I told her what Amy told me and when she didn't react like I wanted her to, I accused Chloe of being involved."

CR looked shocked. "Chloe?"

"Yeah. I know." Stacie admitted. "I basically accused Beca of thinking with her" Stacie motioned down between her legs, "instead of seeing that all of this happened when Chloe showed up."

"Oh" CR's eyes were wide. She knew Beca wouldn't have reacted well to that.

"Yeah." Stacie sighed.

"Well what did Amy tell you?" CR asked.

"She told me that they saw Luke going into Tom's hospital room every day. Nobody knew they even knew each other." Stacie said. She was growing tired of telling people her theory and no one responding the way she thought they should. "I just think it's weird."

"Who's Tom?" CR asked.

"Oh" Stacie said realizing CR didn't know who the man was. "He's a teacher at Chloe's school. They are friends and they were together the night that 10-70 burned down. He was hurt pretty bad but Beca pulled him out. He's been in ICU since in a coma but Luke has visited him daily."

CR sat quietly taking the information in.

"Amy saw it when they reviewed the surveillance tape of the shooter from a couple days ago." Stacie added.

"Who else have you told?" CR asked.

"Just Beca. And Jesse." Stacie answered. "I was waiting for Jessica to get home yesterday to ask her how her brother knew Tom but she didn't come home. I guess she's been a work."

CR's eyebrows knitted together. "There's only one way to find out." CR said standing from the bed.

Stacie looked at her questioningly.

"Let's go to the hospital and see what's up." CR suggested. "We can ask Luke ourselves."

 **XxXxXx**

Beca tried to move her feet as fast as her mind was working but it was impossible. She barely registered the burning in her legs as she ran over the bridge. The memories of the fires and the sound of Stacie's words, her accusations blocked out everything else. Beca thought back to each scene. The daycare fire. Chloe and Tom were both there. They were both there before the fire department. But they worked across the street she argued to herself. She remembered seeing Chloe helping the kids. Seeing the look on her face. She remembered seeing Jesse pull Tom away from the building right before she entered. He looked determined to help. Then the high rise. Beca couldn't remember anyone being there. Not Tom. Not Chloe. But it was in the paper. Jesse showed her the front page headline with a photo of the burning building. She hadn't seen Luke but he must have been there. Or maybe just a photographer she argued to herself. She dodged sightseers and tourists on the bridge and continued briefly thinking she should be them. She should be sharing these views with Chloe. She shook the thought from her head as she replayed the warehouse. No one was there. She was sure of that. That building was empty but as she and Gail had discovered it was probably smoldering for at least 20 minutes before anyone saw the smoke. But it had the same ignition source as the fire at 10-70 and Tom and Chloe were definitely both there. And so was Luke. She didn't see him but she remembered Stacie telling her he was in the parking lot watching it burn. The hotel fire was the last one that ran through her mind. Her legs came to a stop at the memory. The memory of those kids faces. What type of a monster does that to innocent kids? She couldn't bear the thought of Chloe being involved in something like that. She laced her hands together and rested them on the top of her head as her breaths came raggedly. The hostages described a man. His face covered, average build, white, dark eyes. They didn't see his hair color and there was nothing distinctive about him like a British accent. She didn't see Tom or Luke there that day but she knew Chloe was there. She was with Stacie but she was there. Beca looked up to the clear blue sky trying to clear the thoughts and images from her mind. It didn't mean anything. Luke was a reporter. He's supposed to cover the news. Be at those sights so that wasn't out of the ordinary. Chloe was at the bar but she was in the bathroom with her. Chloe was at the hotel but she was worried about Beca and with Stacie. She was at the daycare with Tom but they worked across the street and were only trying to help. Beca dropped her hands letting them slap against her thighs. Tom. He had dark eyes. He was of average build. He matched the profile that Amy and her partner gave them of the suspect that spray painted the bar after Benji's funeral. Then she remembered. She remembered what Chloe had told her about Tom. She turned back in the direction of the hotel and ran as fast as she could. She needed to talk to Chloe again to confirm what she was remembering. Remembering that the 8th floor with the bomb in the hotel was booked by a group. A group from Kansas. Where Tom's from.

 **XxXxXx**

"Lucas dear. You're so sweet." Barbara Evans cooed as Luke walked into the hospital room with a small bouquet of flowers.

"How's he doing?" He asked looking over at Tom.

"Better actually. The doctors are confident that today will be the day he wakes up." She replied hopefully.

"That's great news." Luke said with a smile.

Barbara patted Luke on his arm, "I'm going to ask the nurses if they have something I can put these lovely flowers in." She said. Her hand moved from his arm to cup his cheek softly. "I'll give you boys some time together."

Luke watched the older woman leave before making his way over to Tom. He pulled up a chair next to Tom's hospital bed and sat down slowly.

"Hi." He said softly. His eyes roamed over Tom's body. There were less tubes and wires attached to him since the last time he saw him. Luke looked up to the monitors to see numbers that looked fairly stable. At least that's what he could remember from what nurses and Tom's grandparent's had told him. Once he made it back down to Tom, he let his hand fall over Tom's. "So I hear today is the big day." Luke swallowed. He watched Tom's features for any hint of awareness but didn't see anything. "It will be nice to have you back buddy. I've really missed you." He said quietly. Movement out of his peripheral caught his attention and he jerked his hand off of Tom's quickly. He looked to see hospital staff walking down the hallway. After they passed he turned his attention back to Tom. "I know I've said it every day but I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen to you Tommy. I just" Luke fought the tears that were threatening to spill out of his eyes. "After I followed that bitch back into the bar and saw her go to the restroom I knew that was my chance. I never meant for you to get hurt. I swear I didn't know you were still there." Luke apologized. "I popped the lightbulb by the bar and then went and jammed the bathroom door. I thought she would have been trapped. I didn't know you were still there." Luke's head dropped down in shame. "Please. I need you to be okay. You're my best friend."

 **XxXxXx**

"I'm going to go see where Tom's room is." Stacie said as she walked through the hospital doors with CR by her side.

"Okay. I just need to make a quick call." CR said holding up her cell phone. "I'll wait right here." She said pointing to the lobby.

"Everything okay?" Stacie asked.

"Yeah, just checking in with Denise." CR answered with a smile.

"How is she?" Stacie asked. "How's school?"

"Good." CR replied quickly. "But when your wife is in med school in fucking Maine, everything kind of sucks."

"Yeah" Stacie frowned. She felt for her friend and her wife. Separated by a continent. "I'll be right back."

CR nodded and watched Stacie stride away from her and to the information desk.

"Hi" Stacie said happily at the woman. "Can you tell me what floor Tom" She stopped suddenly. She didn't know Tom's last name.

The woman behind the desk looked at her. Waiting for her to continue.

"Actually. I'm a paramedic with 72" Stacie rolled her eyes at herself as she stood in front of the woman in her uniform. "But you can see that." She trailed off. "Can you tell me if Jessica Stanley is working today? She's usually in the emergency department."

"Sorry. I can't." The woman apologized. "But feel free to stop by the ER and see if she's there."

The ER was on the opposite side of the hospital campus. Stacie pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and sent a text to Amy asking for Tom's last name. She stood awkwardly in front of the information desk as she waited. "Evans. Tom Evan's." Stacie said to the woman. "What room is he in?"

The woman looked down at her computer and typed in the name. She waited several seconds and then looked up to Stacie. "Mr. Evans is on the 2nd floor. Room 12." She smiled. "Is there anything else I can assist you with?"

"No. Thank you." Stacie smiled. She turned back to CR to see her partner having an animated phone conversation. She pursed her lips and decided not to interrupt their conversation. Stacie turned quickly and made her way over to the elevator bay.

 **XxXxXx**

"What?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know. That's what Jesse said." Aubrey answered. She was sitting in the employee lounge on her lunch break.

"She thinks that I would know if Tom and Luke know each other." Chloe repeated. "Why would I know that?"

"Don't know Chlo" Aubrey said chomping down on a baby carrot. "Do you think that's what she called Beca about? I mean it has to be. She told Jesse she couldn't get a hold of Beca. So that must be it."

"Yeah, but why would that piss Beca off?" Chloe asked. "You should have seen her when she left. She was so upset."

"Did you hear what they were arguing about?" Aubrey asked.

"Not really. I was in the shower so it was hard to hear but I did hear Beca's voice. She was angry." Chloe answered.

"How long has she been gone?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe glanced at the clock before answering. "Almost a couple hours."

"It is weird though. You have to admit." Aubrey said.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"I've known Jessica for like 3 years and of all the times we hung out with Luke, before you moved here, Tom never once was around. Or even mentioned. So it must be for work right?" Aubrey questioned.

"Yeah" Chloe agreed but stopped suddenly when the hotel room door flew open. "Bree. I got to go."

"Okay is everythin" Chloe heard before she hung up the phone and tossed it to the bed. "Beca. Where have you been?" She asked as she stood and approached the panting firefighter.

"Tell me the truth." Beca demanded in short breaths.

"The truth about what?" Chloe asked as she stood in front of Beca.

"Everything." Beca replied simply.

"Everything? Beca what are you talking about?" Chloe questioned.

"Don't. Don't pretend like you have no idea." Beca snapped. She was so confused. She was too much in her own head with her suspicions, her self-doubts, and Stacie's words.

"I actually don't have any idea Beca." Chloe replied quickly. "You're scaring me."

"Why are we here Chloe?" Beca asked loudly.

Chloe shook her head. "Because we wanted to get away from everything for a while?" Chloe questioned herself.

"But why? Why now? What's going on with Tom and Luke? Are they planning something? Are you involved in this somehow?" Beca asked.

"What?" Chloe was floored. She couldn't believe her ears. "What are you talking about?"

"The fires." Beca stated. "There is barely anything that connects the fires together. The only thing that fits besides me being the target like I told you"

Chloe nodded remembering Beca's theory.

"Is you." Beca accused. "And Tom and Luke. And you're the only one that connects those two together. At least one of you was at each location, except the warehouse, and sometimes more than one were there."

"What are you saying?" Chloe asked.

"Are you playing me here?" Beca asked. Her insecurities seeped into her head all the way back to the hotel. "Are you here to distract me? So that." She stopped, "I don't know so that Tom and Luke can plan all these fires. So that more people can get hurt?" Beca asked.

"Beca, no." Chloe replied softly.

"I mean it makes sense." Beca said looking directly into Chloe's eyes. "You're the distraction. Keeping me away from what I should be doing. I mean you just randomly walk into my life. Where did you fucking come from? What am I doing here with you? I should be at work trying to stop this. Trying to keep the people that I love safe. Not here with you doing whatever it is we're doing."

Chloe couldn't believe her ears. The words were coming out of Beca's mouth so quickly she didn't have time to be hurt by them before more were assaulting her.

"What the fuck Chloe? Was this the plan? To distract me by fucking me?" Beca shouted. She knew she was rambling but she couldn't stop it. When Chloe's palm connected with her right cheek and her head snapped to the left she finally stopped speaking. Her dark blue eyes looked up to Chloe's teary bright blue eyes as the words she'd said sunk in.

* * *

 **AN: Dramatic Sigh. Okay... let me have it. Be gentle...**


	33. Chapter 32

It took three seconds before Chloe realized what she'd done. Both hands covered her mouth quickly. "I'm sorry." Chloe said quickly but the words were muffled by her hands.

Beca's cheek stung and her eyes were wide with shock but she heard Chloe apologize. Beca's hands slowly extended forward grasping each of Chloe's wrists firmly. She pulled down slowly, pulling Chloe's hands from her face. She saw the tears begin to run down Chloe's cheek and Beca realized what a dick she was. "No. Chloe" She said firmly. "I'm sorry." Beca apologized. "I'm so sorry for saying those things."

Chloe's eyes closed slowly as she listened to Beca's now calm voice. The sudden change in the firefighter confusing her.

"I deserved for you to hit me." Beca added. "Please look at me." She requested.

Chloe slowly opened her eyes to meet Beca's. "Do you really think that?" Chloe asked softly.

Beca frowned. "No. I don't."

"Then why would you say those things Beca?" Chloe asked loudly as if the words Beca said were finally sinking in. As if she were finally understanding them in her brain.

"I wasn't thinking Chlo" Beca managed to squeak out.

"Whatever we're doing?" Chloe questioned repeating Beca's words. "I'm just a distraction? Just sent here to fuck you?" Chloe yelled. She pulled her arms forcefully out of Beca's hands.

"No. I" Beca began to whisper.

Tear were steadily streaming down Chloe's face as she continued to yell at the firefighter. "Is that what you think of me Beca? That I'm some sort of whore?"

"Chloe please" Beca begged.

"Please what? I love you Beca." Chloe said angrily. "I didn't move here in some elaborate scheme to kill you and you're loved ones. I didn't come here to fall in love with someone. I moved her because of the opportunity at one of the best private schools in the country. I moved here because my best friend lives here. I moved here to start over. I moved here to find me. Not you."

"Chloe. Please." Beca pleaded. "Please listen to me."

Chloe remained silent waiting for Beca to continue.

"When Stacie called earlier. She said some things and we got in an argument." Beca began to explain.

"Some things?" Chloe questioned. "About me?"

Beca nodded. "And about the fires. I don't think she meant what she said. She's just got some things going on in her mind and I think it came out wrong but I was so angry that I needed to get away for a little bit to calm down."

Chloe rolled her eyes but stayed quiet.

"I'm so sorry for coming back here and saying those awful things to you. Of course I don't think those things Chloe. I was just being an asshole. I listened to Stacie and let some of the things she said get in my head and I'm sorry." Beca apologized.

Chloe looked at Beca. She could see the regret in her eyes but it didn't take away the pain of her previous accusations.

"And" Beca paused. "I love you too." She said softly. "I realized it the other day and honestly it scares the hell out of me because I've never felt this way before and I'm so afraid of losing you. And then I fucked everything up by being a jerk. I'm so so sorry Chloe." Beca said quickly. "Please forgive me. Please."

Chloe looked deep into her dark blue eyes. "I want to go home. Can you please just drive me home?" Chloe asked sadly.

"What? Chloe no. We just had an argument." Beca said sadly. "Let's stay and figure this out."

"An argument?" Chloe questioned. "That was not an argument Beca. That was you accusing me of lying to you from the moment we met. That was you accusing me of being a monster."

Beca shook her head in shame. "Please stay with me. Let me fix this." Beca requested tentatively.

"I don't want to be with you right now." Chloe said calmly. "I want to go home." She said before she turned back towards the bathroom, this time closing the door behind her.

 **XxXxXx**

Stacie rounded the corner and slowly approached the hospital room. She looked around at the people milling around. No one she recognized, not that she expected to. She stopped just outside the hospital room window. The mini blinds were open so she was able to see inside. Luke sat at the bedside of the dark haired man she'd remembered was Tom. Luke was speaking to Tom but it appeared as if Tom was sleeping or still unconscious. She tried as hard as she could but she couldn't hear anything from inside the room.

"Hello?" An older woman greeted holding a small bouquet of flowers in a large Styrofoam cup in her hand.

"Hi" Stacie replied quickly feeling like she was just busted for eves dropping.

"My name is Beverly." She held out her hand.

Stacie reached forward, "Stacie."

"Do you know my Thomas?" Barbara asked.

"Um" Stacie mumbled. "No ma'am. Not really."

"Oh." Barbara replied quickly. "You must be a friend of Lucas then."

Stacie bit her tongue. She didn't know how to reply so she just stood still and nodded her head slightly.

"Stacie?" Luke said walking out of the room.

"Luke. Hi." Stacie greeted.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

Stacie couldn't tell if he was nervous or angry. "Just stopped by to check on Tom."

Luke looked at her questioningly. Stacie decided to test the waters.

"For Chloe." She added quickly. "She's out of town with Beca." She added a wink as she waited for his reaction.

"Oh" He shrugged.

Stacie narrowed her eyes. "Oh?" She questioned.

Barbara looked between the two as they continued their conversation. She hadn't met a Beca but she did remember meeting the cute redhead. She'd hope the woman was Tom's girlfriend and not just a co-worker.

"Doesn't that bother you?" Stacie probed.

"No. Why would it?" Luke asked.

"Because you and Chloe. You know. You guys" Stacie leaned forward. "Hooked up."

Luke watched Stacie closely trying to figure out what she was doing there. He knew her as Jessica's next door neighbor. Even though they'd attended several of the same parties they'd barely spoken more than 25 words to each other. Ever.

"Nah, I'm not interested in Chloe." He said quickly, "if I was, she wouldn't be out of town with" he paused "Beca." He said spitefully.

There it was. The way he said Beca's name sent a shiver down Stacie's spine. She could have sworn that his eyes flashed with anger. She stood her ground unwilling to be intimidated by the tall muscular man and not caring that Barbara stood looking at them. "I'm sorry Luke, but how do you know Tom?"

 **XxXxXx**

She didn't have her watch. She didn't have her phone. So Chloe didn't know how long she'd been sitting on the toilet with her head in her hands. Thinking. Thinking about everything. Everything from the moment she answered the phone call from Dean Lewis who offered her the job at Hidden Hills Academy. Everything from the moment she'd accepted. From the moment she handed in her resignation. To the moment she called Aubrey. To the moment she packed up her car and made the long drive west. To the moment she first laid eyes on the brunette at the back yard party. From the moment she saw her smile, even though it was short and quick. To the moment she realized she was in love with the firefighter. To the moment that Beca accused her of lying to her. It hurt her. She'd never lied to Beca. She wasn't a liar. She'd always been honest. Chloe stood and turned on the water from the sink. She splashed her puffy red eyes with some cold water and took a long look at herself in the mirror. She hadn't heard any movement from the other side of the door in a while. Chloe turned off the water and walked to the door. She pulled it open and side stepped Beca who landed with a thud on her back. Chloe could see the sadness and regret in the navy blue eyes looking up at her.

"What are you doing?" Chloe asked softly.

Beca didn't answer. She just laid on her back. She wanted to speak but she couldn't seem to find her voice. She felt as if her vocal cords were frozen.

Chloe stepped over the brunette who didn't make any attempt to move. She walked past where her suitcase had previously been laying open. She looked around the room seeing it now zipped up and placed by the hotel room door next to Beca's bag. She turned and took a seat on the edge of the messy hotel bed. "Beca. Please get up." She said softly.

Beca breathed out a sigh but followed Chloe's command. She rolled to one side and pushed herself up off the floor and to her feet.

"You packed my stuff." Chloe said looking at the firefighter.

"Yes" She replied and had to clear the heaviness from her throat before she continued. "You said you wanted to go home so I packed up our stuff." Beca paused to see if Chloe was going to say anything else and took the opportunity to continue when the redhead didn't make a move to speak. "I'm sorry Chloe. For everything. Not everything" she back pedaled quickly. "I meant what I said earlier. Well, not about all the stuff happening back home but" Beca huffed. She was so frustrated with herself. She rolled her eyes in defeat. Her shoulders slumped even farther than they had been hanging. "I'll take you home. I'm sorry I ruined everything and I understand why you don't want to be here with me. I'm sorry. I'll take you home." She apologized again and made a move to the door.

"Beca" Chloe said her voice cracking.

Beca stopped suddenly finding an ounce of courage she turned back towards Chloe who sat crying on the bed. "I meant it when I said that I love you." Beca admitted. "I've never said those words to someone and meant them Chloe. Never."

Chloe swallowed the words that were on her tongue and waited for Beca to continue.

"I've hurt you. And I'm so truly sorry for that. I don't have an explanation. I don't really have a reason other than my own stupid insecurities. My own stupid issues. And if I've lost you then it's my own fault. I never wanted to hurt you but I'm not very good at these things. Relationship things. Trust things. But I did fall in love with you and thought you deserved to know that. Deserved to know that someone loves you. That I love you." She remembered how she felt when Chloe said those things to her the night before and hoped that it made Chloe feel as loved as it made her.

Beca didn't know when Chloe had stood up from the bed and walked over to her but she felt the redhead's arms around her neck. Felt the redhead's face buried in her neck. Felt the redhead's tears on her skin slowly trickling down to her shoulder. Beca wrapped her arms around Chloe holding her tightly. "I'm so sorry" She whispered. She thought she felt Chloe mumble into her neck but wasn't entirely sure what she'd said. Her phone rang and buzzed in her back pocket. After the third ring Chloe pulled back from her and wiped her eyes.

"Answer it" Chloe said giving Beca permission.

Beca pulled it from her pocket. The look of surprise on her face prompted Chloe to look at her questioningly.

"Hey, CR. What's up?" Beca answered.

"Hey B. Sorry to call you on your vacation." CR apologized.

Beca could hear the tension in her voice. "Yeah, no worries what's up?" Beca asked. She pulled the phone from her ear and pressed the speaker phone. She did it to prove to Chloe that she didn't have anything to hide from her. That she trusted her.

"Have you heard from Stacie lately?" CR asked.

"Ah. No. Not since earlier this morning." Beca answered. "Why?"

Chloe could see the concern begin to take over Beca's face.

"Well. She told me about your conversation this morning and about everything that was going on." CR paused but Beca didn't comment. "Anyway, we decided to come up to the hospital to wait for Luke to show up to visit Tom, so we could ask him what was up with those two."

"What?" Chloe asked loudly giving away her presence in the room.

"That's Chloe." Beca said to CR.

"Hey Chloe." CR greeted.

"Hey." Chloe said quickly. "What do you mean what's up with those two?" Chloe asked.

"Stace wanted to know why Luke's been visiting Tom every day." CR said.

Chloe shook her head as she looked at the small device in Beca's palm. "Why would Luke be visiting Tom? Is Tom even awake?" Chloe asked.

"No. He's not." CR answered.

"Where's Stacie?" Beca cut in quickly. She could catch Chloe up after this call was over with Stacie's suspicions.

"That's just it B. I don't know." CR answered. Beca could hear the fear in her voice.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Beca asked.

"We came to the hospital. She went to ask what room Tom was transferred to. I stepped into the lobby to call Denise and the next thing I knew she was gone. I asked the same lady at the hospital about Tom and she sent me to his room but Stacie wasn't there. There was an older lady there. Bar"

"Barbara" Chloe finished the name for her. "She and her husband are Tom's grandparents. His emergency contacts that was on file at the school. I called them after the fire at the bar."

"Yeah she said Stacie was there but she left shortly after Luke left." CR revealed. "She said that Stacie and Luke must have been friends and that they were talking about you two."

"What?" Beca asked loudly. She was confused and frustrated. "That makes zero sense CR."

"I know B. That's why I'm freaking the fuck out here. She just disappeared. I called her cell and she doesn't answer. I text and no reply. We are on duty for fucks sake B. This is not what Stacie does."

Chloe looked to Beca. The look on her face was alarming. "Call Amy. The cops need to look at the footage from today. Find out if they left together or what."

"Yeah, okay." CR replied.

"Chloe and I are on our way back." Beca said quickly. "If she shows up let me know okay?"

"Yeah okay." CR felt bad that she interrupted Beca's vacation but she instantly felt better that the Lieutenant was going to come back home.

"Keep me posted." Beca said before hanging up the phone quickly and looked back to Chloe.

"They never mentioned each other." Chloe said quickly. It was starting to make more sense. Beca's words from earlier. Chloe was the only thing that connected Tom and Luke together. "I didn't understand what you meant earlier until just now. I would be the obvious link between the two of them but I swear Beca, I had no idea."

"I know Chlo. I'm so sorry." Beca apologized again. "I don't want us to be over because I"

Chloe interrupted her. "We aren't over babe." She said softly. "I love you and I want to be with you. We have some stuff to work on but right now we need to go because I have a really bad feeling that something bad has happened." Chloe felt sick to her stomach just thinking about it.

* * *

 **AN: Ummmm, not my best. My apologies guys. Anyway ... comments and reviews are appreciated. I'll try to get back on track here for Sunday.**


	34. Chapter 33

"Where are you taking me?" Chloe asked as Beca barely let off the gas pedal.

"Home." Was Beca's single word answer.

She hadn't said much the entire 6 hour drive back from San Francisco. They'd only stopped once for gas and it was the fastest gas stop Chloe had ever endured. CR and Jesse had both called Beca to give her reports on the situation but it was never good news. No one had seen or heard from Stacie since she left CR in the lobby of the hospital that morning.

"I don't want to go home." Chloe replied quickly.

"I'm going to 72" Beca replied, pausing at the stop sign before speeding down the street.

"I'd rather go to your house." Chloe replied. "Bree is at the hospital and Luke knows where I live."

Beca looked questioningly at Chloe.

"He's been to our house a couple times." Was Chloe's answer. She didn't want to go into the details.

Beca didn't reply but she made a quick turn heading away from Chloe's house and towards her apartment. Her phone rang and she reached to the console to pick it up quickly.

"What's going on Amy? Did you find Stacie?" Beca asked quickly as Chloe looked at her intently.

"No but I finally got the security footage from the hospital. It seems that Luke left the hospital first. Stacie had a short conversation with the older woman in the hall before she left." Amy reported.

"Shit. So maybe she isn't with him." Beca replied quickly.

"Well, one camera shows them leaving separately. The time stamp gives a 7 minute window after Luke walks out the front door until Stacie leaves through the same door." Amy reported, "But we pulled an interior shot and we could see Stacie leave through the glass doors and stop. Then a man grabs her by the arm and pulls her out of the sight of the camera. We can't tell for sure it's Luke but I'm betting it is."

"Mother fucker" Beca shouted angrily.

Chloe flinched.

"We have units heading to his house." Amy added.

"He wouldn't bring her to his house" Beca replied. She turned towards Chloe to ask the redhead. "What's Tom's last name?"

"Evans" Chloe answered.

"Check Tom Evan's house as well. They have to be in this together." Beca said to the police officer.

"Already on it short stack." Amy replied. "I'll keep you posted."

"Thanks Amy" Beca said. "I'm dropping Chloe off at my apartment and then I'm heading into 72."

"Okay. I'll let you know as soon as we have anything." Amy said just before hanging up.

"Luke has her." Beca told Chloe. Her hands wrapped around the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles turned white. Her eyes remained forward on the road stretched out in front of her.

Chloe held onto the door handle and the center console as Beca weaved through the streets of Hidden Hills well above the speed limit. It felt like she took the entrance to her apartment complex on two wheels just before the Jeep came to a halting stop. Beca reached down for her keys that dangled out of the ignition and twisted her apartment key off the silver loop. She passed it over to Chloe. "I'll call you okay?" Beca asked.

Chloe took a deep breath. "Okay." She agreed. "Please be careful." She pleaded.

Beca nodded slightly. "I will."

"I love you" Chloe said as she leaned forward to connect their lips tenderly.

For a moment when she felt Chloe's lips on hers Beca relaxed. She forgot everything that was going on around them. She felt safe. She felt at home. Chloe pulled back slowly her eyes hooded.

"I love you too." Beca whispered.

Chloe reluctantly climbed out of the jeep. She didn't grabbed her suitcase from the back seat at sat it heavily on the ground. "Want me to take yours?" She asked looking back at Beca.

"No. I'll get it later. Go inside and don't come out and don't open the door for anyone but me or Jesse." Beca said quickly.

The tone of her voice frightened Chloe a bit. She pulled the handle up on the suit case and stepped back from the Jeep. She watched as Beca shifted into gear and pulled away from her. She circled the parking lot and then exited and headed towards Firehouse 72. Chloe watched the black Jeep until she couldn't see it any more before turning and heading towards the stairwell.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca pulled along the curb of the firehouse. She slammed on the brakes coming to a skidding stop. She put the truck in park, removed the keys and was out of the door all in one motion. She ran up to the firehouse and into the large garage where she found her brothers and sisters. "Anything new?" She asked as soon as she came to a stop.

"Nothing" Jesse replied sadly. "We are waiting for Amy to call after they search Luke's house."

"He wouldn't bring her there. He knows that's the first place we'd look. He's been orchestrating this the whole time. Fucking with us. Putting our lives and the people of this communities lives in danger and we have no idea why. Whatever the fuck is going on here, why ever he's targeting us, he's not going to go down easy. He's not going down without a fight." Beca ranted. She'd bottled it in the entire drive back. She'd thought of all the possibilities of why he'd be doing this. She thought back to when they were kids and as they grew up. She'd thought about when he moved away with his mother and she couldn't figure out why he'd be targeting her. They didn't know each other that well. They weren't really friends so how could she have wronged him? Beca couldn't figure it out which meant that he was even more dangerous right now. Because no one knew what he was capable of.

"Mitchell"

Beca heard her name being called loudly by Chief Smith. She looked around the Squad members and towards the Chief as he stood in the doorway. She swallowed hard and through her brothers who had stepped aside to allow her to pass through them. Once in front of the Chief she greeted him. "Yes Sir?"

He narrowed his eyes at her briefly before sweeping his eyes down to her tennis shoes and then back up. "Get out of those civilian clothes and into uniform Lieutenant." He said in his authoritative voice.

"Yes Sir." She replied quickly happy that he didn't ask her what she was doing in his house 5 days early. "Thank you Sir."

"Dismissed." He said as he turned back towards the door disappearing behind it and walking in the direction of his office.

Beca followed behind him and headed straight for her dorm to get into her uniform. She'd missed this place. She'd missed her family. She'd missed sitting up at all hours playing cards with the Squad team or working out in the weight room or watching TV. But as she made her way into her room and to her small closet she felt something different than she had previously. She pulled the white shirt off the hanger and tossed in on her bed before pulling her t-shirt over her head quickly. She pushed the sweatpants down to her ankles and stepped out of them as she grabbed her navy pants. She pulled them up, zipping and buttoning them before reaching for the shirt. After she was dressed she stepped into an extra pair of work shoes. She tied them as she sat on the edge of her bed. The feeling washed over her again. Something felt different from the last time she'd had this uniform on. She had more to lose. She had someone on her mind. Someone she wanted to come home too. Someone she loved.

 **XxXxXx**

Two restless hours and countless unreturned phone calls to the police department, Amy in particular, and the members of Firehouse 72 were anxious. Anxious for any news. Was no news good news or bad news? They couldn't decide. They were sitting nervously at the large family style table, nobody speaking, just waiting for anything. The alarm rang harshly jolting them back into reality.

 _"_ _Ambulance 9. Jefferson Park. Possible unconscious victim. Ambulance 9. Jefferson Park. Possible unconscious victim."_

CR pushed her chair back and made her way to the truck bay. She was followed by another paramedic that was filling in for Stacie. Just as the two EMTs made their way through the door and out of sight Chief Smith ran down the hallway.

"I just got off the phone with the police chief. 911 dispatch reported that the caller about the park victim said she was in uniform. They think its Stacie." He said slightly out of breath.

He barely got the words out before the firefighters of 72 were on their feet and moving quickly through the door. Ladder and Engine trucks fired to life as the members of 72 climbed aboard pulling out of the bay and into the street not far behind Ambulance 9.

They could see the edge of the park come into view as CR was heard over the radio. "It's Stacie" She announced. Beca held her breath as she waited for more information. She shared a look with Jesse as they both waited impatiently. "She's okay." Finally came over the radio and Beca released her breath. Her head fell back to the head rest as the truck pulled to a stop at the curb of the park. She opened the door and jumped out holding onto the radio that was clipped to her belt as she jogged towards the crowd of police and EMTs where were attending to her friend. She couldn't see her yet but she knew the tall brunette must be in the middle of the crowd. Beca glanced to her left to see Jesse and Theo jogging alongside her with Bumper and his men not far behind. Beca made it to the circle and pushed her way through the responders to the bench. She stopped abruptly at the sight in front of her. Stacie sat with CR standing in front of her tending to her wounds. Her bottom lip was cut open and blood stained her face. There were harsh red burns across her wrists. Beca looked down to Stacie's feet to see more rope laying on the ground. She'd been bound. Beca took the final steps forward and sat next to Stacie on the bench as CR cleaned the wound around her right wrist. Stacie turned to face the Lieutenant and surged forward wrapping her arms around Beca's neck. She buried her face in Beca's neck. Beca's arms engulfed her friend as she held her tight. "I'm so sorry Beca." Stacie whispered into her skin.

"Hey." Beca said as she pulled back from the teary paramedic. "This isn't your fault. What are you sorry for?" Beca asked softly.

"For this morning. I shouldn't have said those things to you this morning. I'm so sorry." Stacie apologized again.

"It's forgotten Stace. I swear. I'm just so glad that you're okay" Beca said sincerely.

Stacie nodded as she gazed into Beca's eyes.

"Was it Luke?" It was Jesse that broke up their moment.

Stacie turned and looked back at the dark haired man.

"Yeah. He grabbed me as soon as I left the hospital. He had a knife and told me to come with him or he'd kill me." Stacie recounted.

"Where did he take you?" A responding officer asked.

"I don't know. As soon as he got me to his car he punched me. I blacked out for a minute and the next thing I knew I was in the back of his car. My wrists and feet were tied and there was a bag over my head. We drove around for a while and I couldn't tell you which direction we were driving but from the time I woke up I counted maybe twenty minutes before we stopped driving." Stacie said reliving the abduction. "He pulled me out of the back of the car and set me down on concrete. He hooked my hands on something above my head. I don't know what it was but it was strong. I couldn't pull my hands free."

"How long were you there?" The officer asked.

"Hours." Stacie replied. "I tried to keep track but the bag was over my head. It all was so confusing."

"It's okay" Beca said trying to sooth her friend as she ran her hand up and down Stacie back softly. "You're okay."

"Was he there with you the whole time?" The officer asked looking up from the small book he was keeping notes in.

"He was there most of the time. I heard him leave twice." Stacie answered.

"Did you speak to each other?" The officer asked.

"I did most of the talking. I kept asking him why he was doing this and what his plan was. I told him that everyone would be looking for me and that he wouldn't get away with this. He didn't really say much to me. Just told me to shut up a bunch. Told me that if I kept talking he'd kill me." Stacie shrugged as she sighed. "He was listening to something. I could hear it. It wasn't a good signal so I couldn't make out what anyone was saying over the static. It was a police scanner maybe or a radio?"

Beca's blood boiled but something in her didn't feel right. She was sitting in the park looking at her friend that had been abducted by a crazy person. She had been beaten and bound and then just let go? "Why did he let you go?" Beca asked quickly cutting off the officer before he could ask another predictable question.

Stacie turned back to Beca and looked into the navy eyes she adored so much. "I don't know. He'd left for a while and when he came back he tried to pick me up and I struggled. I asked him what he was going to do with me and he said he didn't need me anymore. Said that his plan worked. Then he hit me again and I woke up here."

"His plan worked?" Beca repeated.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I don't know." Stacie said looking intently at Beca.

"What plan?" Beca said mostly to herself as she gently wiped the dried blood off of Stacie bottom lip.

 **XxXxXx**

The sunlight was blinding. Going from the darkness of the hood that had been forced over her head to the sudden bright California sun blinded and dazed her momentarily. She felt the stickiness of the tape against her lips as he pressed it tightly around her face covering her mouth. Her red hair fell messily around her face. She tried to flick her head and move it from her face but it didn't work.

"Let me help you" He offered. His strong hands pushed her red locks behind her ears softly. "Better?" He asked.

She didn't respond. She tried to pull her hands apart but they were tied tightly. She looked back up at him just in time to see his reaction. The look in his eyes was scary. She was frightened. "Answer me" he demanded as the back of his hand struck her across the cheek. The tears came instantly. She couldn't stop them if she tried. Her face stung, her mouth was taped and her hands were tied as Luke stared down at her. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen Chloe." He said suddenly switching back to a calmer version of himself. "I really liked you. I didn't want to have to involve you in this but now" He said as he stood up towering over her, "there's no turning back."

* * *

 **AN: Oh no. Love hearing your thoughts. Keep them coming... you guys are seriously the best.**


	35. Chapter 34

Beca pulled the phone away from her ear and looked down at the screen.

"What's wrong?" Stacie asked as they rode in the back of the ambulance in route to UCLA Med to get Stacie checked out.

"Went to voicemail." Beca mumbled to herself. She ended the call and opened up her iMessage.

 _Chloe: Stacie's safe. Heading to hospital to have her checked out. Call me_

"Maybe she's in the shower or sleeping or something." Stacie offered. She could see the worry begin to creep onto Beca's face.

"Yeah, maybe." Beca softly agreed. She dropped her hand to her lap and leant her head back against the cabinet in the ambulance. "So." She began, "you don't know where he took you? You couldn't hear anything? Like a freeway or ambulances or church bells?"

Stacie shook her head at each one of Beca's suggestions.

"Nothing?" Beca asked again.

"Not really. He kept the bag over my head the whole time. I didn't see or hear anything. Just the sound of what ever he was listening to." Stacie answered.

"Did you smell anything?" Beca asked searching for any information Stacie could recall. "Restaurants? Sewage? Nothing?"

"No" Stacie replied frustrated. "I wish I could."

"I'm glad you're okay Stace, I really am, but it just doesn't make sense." Beca said shaking her head. "Why would he just let you go?"

"All he said was his plan worked and then I woke up in the park and about a minute later CR was there." Stacie answered.

The ambulance jolted to a halt. The back doors opened up shortly after and the two EMT's pulled the stretcher that Stacie refused to get on out of the back. Chief Smith ordered her to follow protocol and go in for a full evaluation as any patient would have, so she agreed and laid on the small bed that she was being wheeled into the hospital on.

Beca followed behind Stacie as they entered the hospital and wound through the emergency room. She quickly dialed Chloe's number again and again the call when to voicemail. Beca stopped walking and looked up. She saw Aubrey and a doctor standing with CR just outside the room Beca presumed Stacie was in. Her feet started to move quickly. Once she reached the three she grabbed Aubrey by the arm and pulled her away.

"Beca. What tha hell?" Aubrey asked surprise filling her voice. "When are you doing here? When did you get back?"

"Have you heard from Chloe?" Beca asked quickly.

"No. She was supposed to text me when you guys got back." Aubrey replied.

Beca felt a sweat begin to form on the back of her neck. Something was definitely wrong. Aubrey noticed.

"What's wrong?" Aubrey asked.

"We got back hours ago." Beca said finally answering her question.

"She didn't text me" Aubrey said as she reached down into her scrubs and pulled out her phone.

"I tried to call her but it goes to voicemail." Beca added.

"Go check out house" Aubrey demanded.

"She's not there. I dropped her at my apartment. She said she'd rather go there because Luke knows where you guys live." Beca said recalling Chloe's words. "It was Luke by the way. Stacie confirmed it."

"Yeah, CR was just giving us the update." Aubrey answered. "Go check your apartment." Aubrey said as she sent a text quickly to Chloe demanding she call her immediately.

Beca nodded and turned back around to see why Aubrey's eyes lit up. Jesse and the other members of 72 were heading down the hallway. Beca felt Aubrey right behind her as she met Jesse in the middle of the hall. "I need you to take me home." She said quickly.

"Okay?" Jesse questioned. "Don't you want to wait for Stacie? She shouldn't be here long then we can all go back to the house like usual?" He asked. This was usually what happened when a brother or sister was brought into the hospital. The family would wait and then all return to the firehouse together.

"I can't get ahold of Chloe. She won't answer the phone." Beca said quickly. "Something's not right."

"Okay. Let's go." Jesse said as he looked between Aubrey and Beca's faces. "Theo." He called. The man appeared seconds later.

"I need you to take me home." Beca said quickly.

He didn't ask questions. He turned and headed out of the door and towards Ladder Truck 72.

"Beca please" Aubrey said desperately. "Please" She begged.

Beca knew she nodded. "I'll call you. It'll be okay." She said as confidently as she could muster to hopefully calm the blonde.

Aubrey nodded as she watched Beca and Jesse run out of the hospital and towards the truck that pulled up at the entrance.

 **XxXxXx**

It was hot and she tasted the adhesive from the tape. Her neck hurt as it hung down. Her shoulders were burning from her hands being bound and hung on a large hook above her. She'd looked up at it for a while trying to figure out how she could get her hands free. The hook reminded her or large meat hook. It was attached to a long metal pole that was mounted into the concrete wall. The rope was only long enough that her butt barely touched the floor. Her feet were tied together and her legs stretched out in front of her, a rope snugly tied to a large pole in the middle of the warehouse. She knew it was a warehouse. It had to be. It was all grey. It had concrete floors and concrete walls. It had one window on either side of the long building and she was situated about 40 feet from one of the dirt covered windows. Where ever she was, was a place no one had been for a very long time. The dull room was beginning to darken as she sat there. Waiting. Waiting for Luke to return. Waiting for him to what? Kill her? She didn't know. Her eyes snapped open wide when she heard the car door slam from outside the building. He was back. She looked up again and grimaced as pain shot through her neck. She tried to pull her arms down as hard as she could but she couldn't budge it. She groaned as she tried. Using all the strength that she had. She cried in frustration when nothing happened. The door slammed shut and she heard the sounds of something locking and then his footsteps. They echoed through the building as they got louder and louder to where she was and then he appeared. He had something in his hand as he made his way over to her.

"Hungry?" Luke asked as he threw the bag of food at her hitting her in the face.

Chloe watched as the contents of the bag spilled out once it hit the floor.

"No?" He teased.

She didn't make any effort to communicate with him. She couldn't speak. The tape was still covering her mouth. And she didn't use her eyes. She knew they were naturally expressive but she kept them neutral. The last thing she wanted to give him was the satisfaction of knowing that she was scared of him.

He knelt down in front of her and she instinctively moved backwards trying to put as much space between them as possible. "No one will hear you scream Chlo." He said softly. "We are far far away from anyone." He revealed.

Chloe swallowed trying to remain calm and trying not to show any expression as fear coursed through her veins.

"I'll take this off so you can eat." He offered as he reached for the corner off the tape. "Okay?"

Chloe turned her head away from his hand. Refusing to let him touch her.

His hand snapped her head sharply to the left. "Why do you make me hit you?" He said under his breath.

While she was dazed he reached the corner of the tape and pulled it quickly off her mouth pulling some skin with it.

She cried in pain.

"Sorry" He said flatly. He crumpled up the tape and tossed it next to her. "Now you can eat." He said as he stood up and moved away from her. "Here's some water." He said pulling a bottle out of his back pocket. He unscrewed the top and placed it on the concrete by her feet. "I'm sorry Chlo. I can't stay with you tonight. I've got to get back into town to keep up appearances. Can't have you and me disappearing at the same time." He mused. "I'll be back tomorrow and we will get started okay?" He asked as he began making his way down the long room. Chloe watched him intently, praying that he was actually going to leave. He stopped abruptly and turned back towards her, "I'll say hi to Beca for you. I'm sure I'll run into her tonight."

Chloe began to struggle at the sound of the firefighter's name. She pulled down as hard as she could moaning and grunting in pain but couldn't free her hands. She tried to bend her knees to free her legs but that was also useless. She heard Luke's cocky laugh as he finally made his way out of the room. She stared at the French fries that spilled on the concrete next to her. She could smell them. Her stomach growled instinctively. Her mouth felt so dry as she looked to her feet. The open water bottle sitting in front of her. She was still tied up. She'd never reach either one of the things he left for her. He left them there to taunt her. To torture her. Chloe gritted her teeth and closed her eyes trying to calm herself. He was coming back tomorrow and she needed to be ready. She needed a plan.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca's feet hit the pavement hard as she jumped down from the truck. She ran through the parking lot and towards the staircase that Chloe would have taken to get to her apartment. She took the steps two at a time, moving as fast as she could. Beca's fist hit her door loudly and quickly. "Chloe!" She yelled, praying the redhead would pull the door open. She banged so loud and so long that one of her neighbor's door opened. She didn't greet Mrs. Hansen when the old lady's head poked out to investigate the loud banging. "Have you seen Chloe?" Beca asked quickly as she continued to wail on the door. "A redhead? Have you seen a redhead around here?" Beca asked realizing old lady Hansen wouldn't have any idea who Chloe was.

The nosy old woman shook her head and disappeared behind her door, shutting it with a loud bang.

Beca took a step back from her door and forcefully connected the heel of her boot with the wood. It flew open quickly and began to shut after it hit the wall. She stopped it with her hand and rushed inside her apartment. "Chloe!" Beca yelled as she moved through her apartment quickly. It was empty. No sign of her girlfriend. Everything was just as it had been left two days ago. "Fuck!" Beca yelled as she made her way back to the door. She reached into her pocket and pulled her phone out again. Beca tried to call Chloe again as she pulled the door closed as much as she could after having destroyed the lock and part of the frame when she kicked it open. She continued down the hallway towards the staircase.

"Beca!"

She heard Jesse calling her loudly. Beca disconnected the call and ran down the steps just as fast as she ran up them. Her feet came to a sudden stop at the bottom. "Where did you get that?" Beca asked as Jesse stood with Chloe's suitcase at his feet.

"It was tossed in the bushes." He said pointed towards the shrubs that outlined part of the apartment complex. "Did you just call Chloe?" He asked.

"Yeah, how did you" Beca began to ask.

"Call it again." He said interrupting her.

She lifted the phone again and waited as she stared at Jesse. She was just about to ask why she was doing this when she heard it. Ringing. It was a faint sound but it was definitely ringing. Beca moved around trying to follow the sound. She ripped the top off of a nearby trashcan and tossed it on its side in effort to empty the contents. The phone skidded to a halt on the concrete, her face lit up on the screen briefly before it changed to a missed call.

 **XxXxXx**

"Tommy?" Barbara said softly. "Can you hear me? Tom?"

He heard the familiar voice. His body felt heavy and he didn't have any energy although he felt like he'd been sleeping for days.

"Can you open your eyes sweetheart?" Barbara asked.

He barely had the energy to comply. It felt like he was trying so hard but everything as still dark.

"That's so good Tommy." The woman sobbed happily. He hadn't opened his dark brown eyes but he was slowly blinking. He could hear her and he was trying to do what he was told. "Your grandpa is here too Tom. He wants you to open your eyes."

It took all his energy but he finally cracked an eye open. The harsh light causing him to shut his eyes quickly and with little effort.

"Oh thank God" Barbara said looking up at the ceiling.

"Tom. I know you can hear me. Just rest son." The man's deep voice instructed.

Tom nodded slightly and swallowed a couple of times trying to find his voice.

"Wh" he stopped suddenly. "Wh" he tried again after a few more swallows to try and lubricate his throat. It didn't work and he didn't try to speak again.

"Here sweetie. It's water. Just a sip" The woman said.

He felt a small tube on his lips. He opened his mouth just enough to take the thin plastic between his lips. He sucked and coughed as the water flooded his mouth.

"Oh there. There." Barbara said as she grabbed a tissue to wipe up the liquid that escaped his mouth.

After he caught his breath he was able to slowly open his eyes. He let his eyes adjust slowly to the light. Things were blurry and bright as he tried to be patient. "Where am I?" He asked his voice thick and cracking.

"You're in the hospital honey. You were hurt in an explosion." Barbara explained. She looked up to her husband. "Can you go get a nurse and tell them he's awake?" She asked the man.

He nodded and left the room after giving Tom a squeeze on the ankle.

Tom was able to open his eyes all the way. At least what he thought was all the way open. She was still blurry but he recognized his grandmother. The woman who raised him. "How?" He strained to ask.

"How?" She repeated.

"Survive?" He managed.

"How did you survive?" She asked.

He nodded.

"A firefighter pulled you out." She answered. "From everything I gathered, you're very lucky to be alive dear."

He sat quiet. Thoughts racing through his mind.

"Lucas is going to be so happy you're awake. He's been here every day." Barbara said as she gently stroked his short brown hair. "And Chloe. She's visited you a couple of times."

"Chloe" Tom winced as the word came out to loudly from his dry throat.

"Yes dear. She's a very pretty girl." Barbara said with a wink. "I thought she was your girlfriend."

Tom shook his head. He cleared his throat. "Beca?" He asked. "I need to talk to Beca."

The nurses rushed into the room and began examining him. His grandmother was moved out of the way as they shined bright lights in his eyes, took his vitals, checked his reflexes, listened to his lungs, asked him questions and poked and prodded at him.

"Who's Beca?" Barbara whispered.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca followed Amy through the police station. "What are you going to do? What's the plan?" She demanded.

Amy paused at the desk, making eye contact with an officer who was talking to a man.

"It's a 2001 Buick LaSabre. This morning I pulled into the In and Out on Jensen and was in the restaurant for like 3 minutes. I just ran into pee and yeah I left the keys in it but that doesn't give someone permission to steal my car." The man said with a thick southern accent. "I've been here all day. Why can't you guys find my car?"

Amy rolled her eyes at her fellow officer as she listened to the man's story. She rifled through the latest incoming tips quickly looking for something that pointed to whereabouts of Luke or Chloe.

"Amy seriously." Beca demanded. "He's not going to just let her go like he did Stacie. Don't you see? That's the plan that worked. We came back and he grabbed Chloe. He didn't need Stacie anymore so he let her go. He won't let Chloe go. What the fuck are we doing right now?" Beca asked as she looked around the front of the police station.

"Beca please. Calm down." Amy said as she turned back to her friend.

"Calm down?" Beca asked. "You want me to calm down?"

"Please" Amy said gently. "We will find her."

"Chloe was taken from outside my apartment complex. She's missing and you want me to calm the fuck down?" Beca shouted. She felt Jesse's strong hand on her shoulder. She immediately shrugged it off.

"I hope they care more about your Chloe than they do my Buick." The man said in poor taste. It didn't sit well with Beca as she turned to glare at him.

"What the fuck?" Beca said angrily at the middle aged man.

He put his hands up in defeat and took a step away from the fuming brunette. "I'm just saying" He said as he back peddled.

She lunged for him. Throwing punches in his direction. She didn't get too far. She felt Jesse wrap his arms around her waist and pull her off her feet turning her in the opposite direction from the scared man.

"Put her in room 3" Amy said pointing down the hall. Theo ran in that direction and opened the door as Jesse carried a kicking and screaming Beca towards the private interrogation room.

 **XxXxXx**

"Hello, Samantha dear, I hope your feelin' finnnneeee! And it won't be long until I'm with you all the time. But until then, I'll spend my money up right down to my last dime, Cccaaaallin' Baton Rouge. Oooperator, won't you put me on through. I gotta send my love down to Baton Rouge. Huuurrrry up! Won't you put her on the line, I gotta talk to the girl just one more time. Caaaaaallllinn' Baton Rouge. Sweet Baton Rouge. My Baton Roooouuuuge. Oh oh whoa ho whoa oh." Luke sang loudly as he pulled into the parking spot at the grocery store. He hadn't heard the song before he stole this car. But the CD was in the player and came on every time he started the car. Country music wasn't usually his preference but he had to admit this song was catchy and upbeat. He liked. It didn't take him long to have it memorized. He looked out the windows to make sure it was safe to exit the vehicle. After he didn't see anything suspicious he stepped out of the car. He locked it and walked around to the side. He opened the small brown door that hid the gas cap of the sedan and placed the keys in. He shut the small door and continued walking away. He pulled his leather gloves off and slid them in his back pocket as he approached his motorcycle. Luke tossed on leg over and centered the bike balancing it with both legs. He pulled the single key from the pocket of his jeans and started up the black motorcycle he loved so much. He kicked up the kick stand and sighed disappointingly as he pulled away from the grocery store, the song still stuck in his head but with no way to listen to it right now.

* * *

 **AN: Sup guys. Leave me your comments and reviews. I love them all. Probably way too much :)**


	36. Chapter 35

Jesse dropped Beca to her feet once they were in the room.

"Fuck you Jesse" Beca spat.

"They are going to throw your ass in jail Beca." Jesse fired back. "What good will you be in there?"

She heard his words and knew he was right but her heart was racing and the adrenaline was pumping through her veins and all she could think of was finding Chloe before Luke hurt her. It was the only thing that mattered.

"He's right Lieutenant" Theo agreed. "I know you're so fucking pissed off." He tried to sympathize with the brunette. "And if I were in your shoes I don't know what I'd do. If someone was trying to hurt Jessica, I'd want to kill him."

"Not helping dude" Jesse whispered towards Theo.

"I hope you get your shot at fucking Luke up. I really do, but taking it out on some redneck in the lobby of a police station is not the way to help Chloe right now." Theo reasoned. "We need to stay focused here."

"We?" Beca asked.

"Obviously Becs." Jesse said quickly.

"I'm with you all the way B." Theo smiled.

"Okay" Beca breathed. She knew Jesse was going to back her up but she felt better knowing that Theo also had her back.

The door opened quickly as Amy stepped inside. "You know I love you B. I do. But that shit was not cool. That guy wanted to press charges against you." Amy said angrily.

"I'm sorry Amy. I lost it." Beca apologized.

"Geez shorty. You have to learn to control that temper. I feel like I spend most of my time getting you out of trouble." Amy huffed as she sat down in one of the aluminum chairs.

"Do I need to like apologize to him or something?" Beca asked.

"No." Amy replied. "He agreed to not press charges against you in exchange for my number." Amy shrugged. "I'm a sucker for a cowboy."

"Gross" Beca mumbled.

"Anyway, I came back here because the hospital called." Amy said, "Tom Evan's is awake."

"What?" Beca asked loudly.

"And he's asking for you." Amy added.

 **XxXxXx**

Luke cursed under his breath. He hadn't thought his plan all the way through. He'd been so excited at the opportunity to grab Chloe that he rushed into letting Stacie go. Of course she ran to the cops. He hadn't thought it through but now as he looked down his street at the police car sitting in front of his house he knew he could never go back there. He turned down a side street as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. He could feel himself beginning to panic. "Fuck" he mumbled as he continued away from his house trying to decide where he could hide. He needed a different car. His bike was too noticeable. He knew there was no way he'd get as lucky as he did this morning when the idiot left the keys in the car. Luke smiled remembering how easy it was to steal his first car as he continued towards a busy area of town. He slowed his bike down as he approached a nice restaurant. This was his chance. Luke followed slowly behind a silver Range Rover that had just been handed over to a valet. He saw where the car was about to be parked and stopped his motorcycle quickly. He jumped off the bike and surprised the valet just as he was getting out of the car with a punch to his face. Luke yanked the keys from the man's hand and climbed into the SUV before backing up and pulling out the opposite end of the parking lot feeling more confident about not spotted by the cops and heading on auto pilot to the one place he'd been every day for the last week.

 **XxXxXx**

Barbara recognized the small woman as soon as she entered her grandson's hospital room. "You're Beca?"

"Yes ma'am" Beca replied.

The older woman's arms quickly wrapped around the firefighter. "I didn't have a chance to thank you."

Beca awkwardly patted the woman's back as her eyes finally made contact with Tom. She noticed immediately that he looked nervous. Scared maybe.

"Beca" Tom croaked. His voice still cracking. "Thanks from coming."

Beca stepped all the way inside his hospital room. She was followed closely by Jesse, Theo and Amy. She introduced them all to Tom and his grandparents. On the way to the hospital Amy coached her on the types of questions she should ask and how to react hoping he would reveal the nature of his relationship with Luke and possibly give them a clue as to where the other man may be hiding.

"It's good to see you awake Tom. How are you feeling?" Beca asked calmly as she fought her instinct to want to get information out of him as quickly as possible.

"Detective Patricia?" He questioned looking at the large blonde that was introduced to him as only Amy.

"Yes" She acknowledged.

"Is this conversation being recorded?" Tom asked looking around the room.

"Why would anyone be recording this Tommy?" Barbara asked clearly confused.

"Yes. It is" Amy confirmed. "Do you have an official statement you'd like to make?"

Beca's already thin patience was quickly growing thinner.

"An official statement?" Barbara asked looking at her grandson. "What are they talking about?"

"Barbara" Hank said standing slowly from his chair in the corner of the room. "Let him speak."

"I'd like to speak to Beca alone." Tom finally answered. He returned his dark eyes back to Beca and held the contact.

"No way" Jesse said quickly as he stepped forward towards Tom.

Beca's hand extended out quickly stopping Jesse. There was something about the look in Tom's eyes. He was going to tell her something but it was clear he wasn't going to say it to a room full of people.  
"It's okay. I'd like to talk to him alone." Beca said continuing to stare back at Tom. Neither willing to be the first to break eye contact.

"I don't think that's a good idea Beca." Jesse whispered towards his best friend.

"I'll be fine. Please. Everyone just give us a few minutes." Beca said to the room.

After the room cleared out Beca pulled the hospital door closed and then turned towards Tom.

"Thanks for agreeing to speak to me this way." Tom said quietly.

"Do you know where Chloe is?" Beca asked quickly.

Tom looked down at his hands that were clasped together in his lap. "I've been in a coma for days Beca. How would I know where Chloe is?"

"You do. Don't you?" Beca accused. She stepped closer to him angrily.

"I never meant for any of this to happen." Tom said looking back up at her with his dark brown eyes. "I didn't want anyone to get hurt and I tried to stop it but I couldn't and he was so determined." Tom's eyes filled with tears as he rambled quickly. "After the first fire I knew I wasn't going to be able to get away from him. I knew I couldn't go back and I didn't mean for any kids to get hurt. It wasn't supposed to happen that way. I tried to get him to stop. I tried to talk Luke out of it but once he's determined to do something you can't talk him out of it. I didn't know he was going to take it this far. The day care was an accident I swear and the high rise we timed to go off when the least amount of people would be there. And I managed to talk him into setting up at an abandoned warehouse instead of the factory on Platt Rd where he wanted too. I'm so sorry about the guy that died. But when he set up the trap in the hotel? I knew he'd lost it. I knew he'd gone too far."

"You're sorry?" Beca echoed. "People died Tom. People died from things you did and you're sorry?" Beca asked.

"I am" Tom answered. "I just wanted him to notice me."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Beca asked totally confused. "You wanted who to notice you?"

"You're the closest thing I'll ever have to a sister." Tom said looking straight into her eyes. "You don't remember me do you?" He asked.

So many things were swirling around in Beca's mind. She didn't know what to do or what to say. He'd just confessed to participating in all the recent fires and now he was saying they knew each other. She took a breath and cleared all the thoughts except for one. "Where is Chloe" She said firmly.

He ignored her. "Of course you don't." He sighed.

"Where is Chloe?" Beca repeated.

"We used to be inseparable." Tom smiled. "I have a picture of you and me at 72 dressed in turnout pants so big that they were just puddled around our feet. The suspenders" he laughed at the picture "were so long they touched down to our shoes."

Beca had no idea what he was talking about.

"We were three." He shrugged. "God, I have hundreds of pictures that you've never seen." He shook his head sadly. "We should have been best friends. We should have gone to the academy together and we should have been stationed at 72 together."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Beca demanded.

"But you don't even remember me." He said sadly.

"Remember you?" Beca questioned. "I don't even know you."

He nodded in agreement. "And that's not your fault Beca." He said softly. "It's my father's fault."

Beca stood as still as a statue as she waited for him to continue.

"I just wanted him to notice me. I just wanted his attention." Tom repeated. "After my mom died in a car accident he sent me away. He sent me to Kansas to live with my grandparents when I was six. I don't know why he couldn't take care of me. Maybe he didn't love me?" Tom shrugged. "But I remember being so jealous of how much your dad loved you. I envied you." Tom admitted. "One day I heard my grandparents talking about your dad. They were talking about how he died. I felt so bad for you because I knew how you felt. To lose a parent." He shook his head slightly. "It's hard."

"Where's Chloe?" Beca asked softly. She didn't have time or energy to think about anything that Tom was saying currently.

"When I moved back here four years ago I just knew that he would recognize me. I knew he would apologize for sending me away." Tom's expression changed to sadness. "But he didn't. He walked right by me in the grocery store. He didn't even see me. It was like I was a ghost." Tom took a deep breath. "So I started following him around. And I started sitting outside the firehouse. That's when I first saw you again."

"Where's Chloe?" Beca said again.

"He put his arm around you one afternoon outside 72. I was so angry. So angry." Tom repeated. "You are more his child than I will ever be. And it's not your fault but it's not mine either. You got to grow up with your dad and my dad and I hated you so much for that. I hated you so much that when I met Luke last year and spilled my guts to him one night in a bar we started to throw around these ideas. At first I thought it was for a book he was going to write but then he convinced me that we should do it." Tom admitted. "I didn't want to at first but he just made it sound so easy and he swore that no one would get hurt."

"Chief Smith?" Beca asked. "He's your father?"

Tom nodded sadly.

"Tom" Beca said calmly. His brown eyes moved to meet hers. Beca took a breath to steady herself. "I won't patronize you by apologizing for everything you've been through." She said calmly. "And I won't pretend I understand anything you're talking about but I do promise you that once I find Chloe and get her safely back from where ever Luke is keeping her, I will come back here and we can talk this through." Beca said calmly.

"Luke has Chloe?" Tom asked. He'd been so busy telling his own story he hadn't paid much attention to what Beca had been asking him and he didn't really care. He just wanted to confess.

"He abducted her from outside of my apartment earlier today." Beca explained. "She's been missing for about 6 hours. If you know where she is, I'm begging you to tell me."

"Chloe is a special girl." Tom smiled at the thought of the redhead.

Beca gritted her teeth and tried to keep her expression even. "She likes you." Beca managed to push out.

Tom looked up at her quickly.

"She told me that she thinks you're a really nice guy." Beca said feeling sick to her stomach.

Tom looked away and shook his head quickly. "I wanted to kill Luke after he told me that he slept with her."

Beca waited for Tom to continue.

"He doesn't like her. Not like I do. But I don't think he would hurt her." Tom replied.

"If he didn't want to hurt her then why would he take her?" Beca asked.

"For the story" Tom shrugged.

"The story?" Beca asked.

"He's writing a book. Everything that's happened. Everything we've done he said is for the story." Tom answered. "He's going to sell it and make millions. Then we will be rich and my father will have to acknowledge me. He'll be so proud."

"You're fucking crazy" Beca whispered. "Both of you are fucking crazy."

Tom looked up at her with hate in his eyes. "Maybe." He smirked. "Good luck finding Chloe."

 **XxXxXx**

Luke sat outside the hospital looking at the large red fire truck with a large 72 on the side and police car parked in front. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the hospital.

"UCLA Med" The operator answered.

"Yes ma'am, hi. My name is Lucas Bowers and I'm a reporter for The Chronicle. I'm calling to check on the status of a patient." He said professionally. He heard the sound of typing in the back ground.

"You're press ID?" The woman asked.

"US-78340" Luke recited.

"Patient's name?"

"Thomas Evans." Luke answered.

"Mr. Evans has been awake for the last several hours. His status has been moved from critical to stable." She informed him.

"Thank you very much." Luke replied before hanging up quickly. He hit the steering wheel forcefully. "Fuck" He yelled. He reached forward and turned the Range Rover on. "You're such a pussy Tom" he said as he pulled out of the parking lot of the hospital and back towards the abandoned meat processing plant. He knew he was out of time. He would set his plan into motion tonight.

* * *

 **AN: So the pieces are falling into place. What are you guys thinking? How should it end? If I'm being 100% honest, I haven't decided yet. I've been tossing around ideas and I'm not sold. I'd love to hear your suggestions... so give me something to think about.**


	37. Chapter 36

Beca turned quickly at the sound of tapping on the glass window. She took one more look at the defiant smirk on Tom's face and quickly exited. Once on the other side of the door Beca followed Amy away from the room. She reached into her shirt and pulled the taped microphone from her skin and handed it over to Amy. "Everything's on there." Beca said.

Amy nodded. "There was a carjacking downtown about 45 minutes ago. Luke's motorcycle was recovered at the scene. The man gave a description to the responding officer and it matches Luke."

Beca nodded as she took in the information.

"All local and state law enforcement have been informed of the license plate and are on the look-out for the vehicle. We also have officers going through surveillance cameras of nearby businesses to see if we can track his movement or a direction he headed." Amy continued. "We are going to find her." Amy said confidently hoping to offer her friend a little comfort.

"Yeah" Beca said softly. She felt Jesse's hand on her shoulder. She didn't realize he was behind her but she knew his touch. "Maybe we should go home and wait Becs" Jesse said calmly. "There is nothing more we can do here."

Beca wanted to disagree. She wanted to go back in and force Tom to give her the information she needed. She wanted do whatever she had to, to make him talk. To make him tell her were Chloe was being held.

"I'll call you as soon as we have anything." Amy said agreeing with Jesse's suggestion.

"Anything?" Beca asked. "You promise. You will call me with any information. Even if it's unlikely. You promise?"

"I swear shorty" Amy agreed.

Chloe's face flashed in her mind. Her bright blue eyes. Her perfect lips and radiant smile. The sound of her laugh. The way she looked right before she fell asleep. Beca's heart hurt in her chest as she saw pictures in her mind of Chloe. Battered. Beaten. Crying. She knew she couldn't just sit around and wait.

"Do what you have to do Amy but I want to be updated with any information the police department gets." Beca said quickly. "I'm going to keep looking around town for Luke." Beca said as she marched determinately out of the hospital wing.

They had barely made it outside when Jesse and Theo caught up to her. "So what's the plan?" Theo asked.

"Take me back to the firehouse." Beca said as she climbed into the truck.

"And then?" Jesse asked.

"I'm going to get in my Jeep and find her." Beca answered.

"I'll come with you." Jesse replied.

"No. I want you to stay at the station. If a call comes in, grab my gear and I'll meet you at the location because I think something is going to happen soon." Beca replied.

"How do you know?" Theo asked as he looked back at her from the front cab of the firetruck.

She shrugged. "Something in Tom's voice. His eyes maybe? I don't know but I don't think this will be long and drawn out."

"What did Tom say?" Jesse asked.

"It's not about Chloe. It's all about me." Beca answered. "Now that they know I'm back in town they are going to use her to get to me."

"Why you? What connection do you have to Tom? And Luke?" Jesse asked.

"Tom is Chief Smith's son." Beca revealed.

"What? Are you sure? How do you know that?" Jesse asked skeptically.

"He told me." Beca answered. "Apparently Tom and I were close as kids but when his mother died Chief sent him away to live with his grandparents."

"What?" Jesse didn't believe it.

"I don't know Jess. I don't remember him but he believes it's true. Says he has pictures of us always together. And I guess it could be true. Our fathers were best friends." Beca shrugged as she watched the lights of the town pass by her quickly. "His mom died when he was young and Chief sent him away to live with his parents in Kansas."

"Wait" Jesse said loudly. "Kansas? As in hotel fire school group that never appeared Kansas?"

"That's the one." Beca answered. "He told me he moved back here 4 years ago hoping to reconnect with the Chief but the Chief never recognized him. Didn't even know his own son." Beca sighed. "Over the past four years Tom's been jealous of Chief and I's relationship. Said I had my father and his. So he wants to kill me" Beca deadpanned. "That's when he met Luke and told him all about it."

"And Luke's reason?" Jesse asked trying to take all the information in.

"He's just a fucking nut job." Beca answered quickly. "And he has Chloe."

 **XxXxXx**

She had a plan. She was going to get out of this. She was going to escape when he tried to move her. When he tried to take her to whatever place he was going to try and execute his plan. She would kick. Scream. Bite. Scratch. Fight. Whatever she had to do, she would do. She would fight. She knew he was going to try and hurt Beca and she knew Beca would do anything to save her. Even if it mean sacrificing herself and Chloe wasn't going to let that happen. She was going to do whatever she had to do to keep Beca safe.

What she didn't plan on was to have to do it so soon. Her head snapped up painfully at the sound of a large car door slamming. It sounded different than the one from before. Hope flooded her system. Maybe someone else had found her. Maybe someone other than Luke would be walking through the door. She instinctively struggled to free her hands again but again failed. After being in the same position for the last several hours, she wasn't sure exactly how long, she barely hand any feeling in her hands. She could feel how cold they were from being held above her head for so long. She huffed frustratingly as she finally gave up on freeing herself. She didn't have the strength and she needed to conserve what energy she did have left for when it was time to fight.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca winded her Jeep through the streets of Hidden Hills. She didn't know what kind of car she was looking for but that didn't keep her from looking for anything suspicious. She'd already driven by all the previous sites of the fires trying to find a clue. Trying to figure out what was going to happen next. Trying to figure out where he may be holding Chloe. Something with concrete floors. Like the warehouse she thought as she drove past the sight where Benji lost his life. The look of sadness in his parent's eyes that day in the rain was a look that Beca would never forget. She'd seen it before. She'd seen it in her mother's eyes the day they walked behind the firetruck that held her father's casket. The day that Chief Smith held her in his arms and promised to always be there for her. The day he told her of the promise he'd made to her father, to look out for her. To make sure she was safe. She knew it wasn't his fault but she didn't want to see him. She didn't want to blame him for what was happening so as soon as the firetruck had arrived at 72 she climbed directly into her Jeep and took off. Beca pulled into the parking lot of an abandoned warehouse. She turned off her truck and sat with her headlights shining on the structure. Grey concrete walls. Graffiti all over them. Chloe had to be in a warehouse. It's what Stacie had described. Beca closed her eyes and listened. She didn't hear anything. No noises. No cars. No smells. Beca climbed out of the Jeep and made her way towards the abandoned building making up her mind to check every single one in Hidden Hill's large rundown warehouse district. The front doors had a large pad lock and heavy chain wrapped around the handles to keep trespassers out. She pulled hard but the doors didn't budge. Beca made her way over to the side of the building and found what she needed. She picked up the old brick and found a first floor window. She threw the brick through the glass shattering it. She used her elbow to clear away broken shards of glass before climbing up and pulling herself through the window. It didn't matter that she cut her skin and that she was bleeding. She'd do it as many times tonight as she had to. She'd do it until she found Chloe.

 **XxXxXx**

The tiny amount of hope she had that someone else had found her disappeared immediately when she saw his shadowy figure walking towards her. But something was different about it. It wasn't the same as when he left. It wasn't as confident.

Luke kicked the full water bottle that still sat at her feet across the room. "You didn't enjoy your dinner?" He teased.

Deciding it was time to push back Chloe spoke. "Fuck you Luke." She spat.

His eyebrows shot towards his hairline. He knelt down in front of her. "You'd like that wouldn't you?" He said leaning towards her. "One more time? For old time's sake?" He winked.

Chloe shook her head in disgust. "Why are you doing this?" She asked angrily.

He leaned back until his butt hit the concrete across from her. "It wasn't my idea." He answered. "But I figured it would be good material for my book. The one I told you about?" He asked thinking she was interested in him enough to remember.

"Why me and Beca?" Chloe asked.

He shrugged his broad shoulders. "I meant what I said. I really didn't think someone like you would ever get involved with Beca. So you weren't part of the plan but you seem to be one of the few people she cares about so you kind of just fell into it." He answered. "Rough luck."

She looked at him with hate in her eyes. "Why Beca?"

He took a long deep breath. "My friend doesn't like her." Was his simple answer.

"Really?" Chloe snapped back. "You're doing all this because you're friend doesn't like her?" She asked.

"I honestly don't care for her either. Never really have but he" Luke paused. "She took something from him."

"What?" Chloe demanded. "What did she take to deserve this? To have her friends die. To have innocent people killed because she took something from someone?"

"She took his place." Luke answered. "It's kind of poetic actually. I really couldn't have wrote it any better." Luke laughed. "She took his place. Took his father. She became the one he cared for. The child he watched grow. The child he looked after. And now, when she's gone"

A chill ran through Chloe as Luke spoke about Beca in the past tense.

"He will take her place. His father will notice him. He'll love him. He'll remember how much he missed him. How much he needed him. It's a love story." Luke replied. "The things we do for love."

"You're doing this for love? You love your friend?" Chloe asked.

"No" Luke laughed. "He's my best friend but he's already done. The cops will get him, if they already haven't."

"So why are you doing this?" Chloe asked again.

"I was bored I guess." Luke answered with a shrug. "Then I met Tom. He was so angry and it didn't take much to motivate him. He came up with these ideas to hurt his dad. Not like physically hurt him" Luke clarified, "but he wanted him to feel like he felt. And Beca was the obvious way to hurt him."

"Tom Evans?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah. After some research on the internet about chemical bombs and incendiary devices it all kind of came together. It's going to make a great story. Best seller for sure." Luke smiled.

"So you plan to kill Beca to hurt Tom's father?" Chloe asked.

"Yep" Luke replied.

Luke wasn't withholding any information so Chloe took a chance to ask, "how?"

"It's going to be amazing actually" Luke beamed. "I'm going to trap her. Make her choose. Make her choose between the things she loves the most. And in the process the fire" Luke's eyes looked dangerous again. "The fire will hunt her. The fire will trap her. It will claim her. And she will burn. Until there is nothing left."

* * *

 **AN: Closing in towards the end of this story. Tell me what you guys are thinking.**


	38. Chapter 37

"Anything?" Beca asked as she pulled up to yet another abandoned warehouse.

"No. Nothing. What about you?" Jesse asked.

Beca sighed frustratingly. She pulled the phone from her ear and put it on speaker then dropped it into her lap. She tilted her head back letting it rest on the headrest and closed her eyes. "I don't know how many warehouse I've broken into tonight. And I still got nothing." She answered.

"It late Becs. Maybe you should come back to the house. Get some rest." Jesse suggested. "You won't be any good to anyone if you're exhausted."

"Do you think Chloe's sleeping?" Beca mumbled as she opened her eyes and refocused on the building in front of her.

"Beca" Jesse replied sympathetically.

"I just need to get her back. I need her to be okay." Beca replied quickly. "I love her."

There was a minute a silence before Jesse spoke again. "Does she know?" He asked.

"Yeah. I told her today." Beca answered briefly remembering their morning. She heard a knock in the background of the phone and perked up hoping it would be information.

"Hey Stacie" Beca heard Jesse say through the phone. She couldn't hear what Stacie was saying. "What's going on Jess?" Beca asked.

"Yeah okay. I'll be right out." Jesse said to Stacie before returning to his conversation with Beca. "Aubrey and Jessica are here." He informed her.

"Why are they at the station?" Beca asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I think. They are just worried. Stacie said they brought a bunch of stuff to cook us breakfast. You sure you don't want to come back? Eat and rest for a couple hours?" He asked again.

"Yeah. I'm sure Jesse." Beca answered. "Keep me posted okay?"

"You too. Keep in touch. Every hour okay?" He said confirming she would still check in with him every hour.

"Yeah. Okay." Beca replied and then hung up. She pushed her cell phone down into her pocket. She took notice of the time on the radio just before turning off her Jeep. 1:27 am. Beca opened the door and climbed out of the vehicle and made her way towards the beaten down warehouse hoping this would be the one.

 **XxXxXx**

"We should get going soon." Luke said from his place across from her.

Chloe slowly lifted her head that hung down between her arms. She was exhausted and her whole body hurt. "Go where?" She mumbled.

"You'll see" Luke said pushing himself to his feet.

Adrenaline shot through Chloe as she felt him approach her in the dark warehouse. She instantly began to struggle, pulling her arms frantically and trying to kick her feet.

"Calm down Chlo." Luke said sternly. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."

She momentarily paused as he reached up to grab the ropes that held her hands. She waited until she felt the slack loosen as he removed her restraints from the hook above head. Her arms ached as they slowly lowered. Knowing the chances of him removing the restraints that bound her wrists were slim, Chloe lunged forward and attached her mouth to the first skin she found. She sunk her teeth in as deep as she could with as much force as she could into his right forearm. The taste of blood filled her mouth as she continued to bite as hard as she could.

Luke grabbed the back of Chloe's head with his left hand pulling hard on her hair and forcing her mouth off of him. "Fucking bitch!" He yelled as he looked down at the mark she left on his arm. He let her go and instantly pulled back to punish her.

Chloe saw his fist fly into the air and then the pain shoot through her face. It hurt more than anything she had ever experienced before. The pain in her arms went away instantly as her body slumped over, her face landing hard on the concrete.

Luke stood quickly and pulled his boot back.

She felt the air forced from her body when his foot made contact with her stomach. Not only once but twice. He was cussing at her. Calling her names but she couldn't understand him. She was trying to remember how to breathe. She felt jostling around her legs and realized he was removing the rope that tied her to the pole but she couldn't move. She felt paralyzed.

"Get up!" Luke yelled as the redhead laid hunched over in the fetal position on the cold warehouse floor. "Get up bitch!" he screamed at delivered another swift kick to her stomach area.

Chloe saw little black dots floating through her vision but willed herself to not pass out. She took a rough breath in through her nose and coughed violently. She weakly spit the blood out of her mouth that flooded her mouth as soon as she coughed. She tried not to panic as she focused on the thick red liquid on the concrete beside her.

Luke reached down and grabbed a handful of red hair pulling up as he lifted Chloe to her feet.

Her legs shook as she tried to keep them under her hoping they would hold her up. It didn't work. As soon as he let go of her hair she stumbled forward landing hard on the floor with her bound hands breaking her fall as her knees slammed down hard.

"You're pathetic" He mumbled as he bent down and picked her up. He threw her battered body over his shoulder forcefully.

She felt the pain shoot through her as soon as her ribs made contact with his shoulder. She tried to block it out but it was excruciating. Chloe only just got control of her breathing again when she felt her body being thrown into the backseat of an SUV.

"Since you refuse to be on your best behavior" Luke mumbled as he reached around to the front seat pulling a black bag to the back where he knelt above her in the back bench seat. "We'll do this my way." He pulled a rag from the bag and a small bottle.

Chloe tried to focus on the bottle but couldn't see what it was. She watched him pour the liquid over the cloth and then turn back to her.

"No. No" She started yelling as her head moved violently from side to side trying to avoid the rag being placed over her mouth.

"Shut up" He said as he grabbed her face tightly. He held her still and forced the rag over her nose and mouth.

Chloe held her breath as long as she could. She'd tried. She'd fought but she just wasn't any match for him. When she couldn't take it anymore she took a breath. The pain in her body started going away and everything faded slowly to black.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca drove to the end of Mureo Road. The large warehouse came into view as she wound around the last turn. The old meat packing plant had been shut down for more than a decade. She remembered when it went under and hundreds of people lost their jobs. It was on the outside of town and technically not in Hidden Hills but she figured she'd check in anyway. Beca pulled her Jeep to a stop outside the large building and once again made her way towards the abandoned structure. This warehouse instantly felt different than the others she checked that night. This was accessible. She instantly found a side door that had been kicked in. Beca reached into one of the pockets of her pants and pulled a small flashlight out. She shined the light into the building. This was the one. She felt it. "Chloe!" Beca called out loudly. She quickly walked into the building looking frantically from side to side shining the light in all directions. "Chloe?" She yelled again. Beca pushed opened a cracked door that led to a long empty room. Old meat hooks were mounted to the walls. Something dark on the floor caught her attention. She walked towards it quickly. Her heart rate sped up at the sight of 2 sections of rope laying on the concrete. She looked up at a hook that sat directly above mounted to the wall. Then she shined her flashlight towards a pole across from her. The other items on the floor were puzzling. A toppled over water bottle. Scattered French fires. A McDonald's bag. Her light caught something else on the floor. She bent down to get a closer look. Her finger swiped at the red stain. It was still wet. She spread the blood between her index finger and her thumb. They were gone. She'd been here but she was gone. "Chloe" Beca whispered.

 **XxXxXx**

"Good. You're awake."

For an instant before her eyes opened Chloe hoped this was all just a bad dream. As soon as she heard his voice she knew it wasn't. She knew this was actually happening. At some point the thick duct tape had been reapplied over her mouth and her hands bound behind her.

"You're going to want to see this." He said looking straight ahead.

Chloe looked around. She couldn't see much from her position laid across the back seat. The sun was just beginning to rise lighting up the sky. She could make out the tops of houses. A neighborhood? She thought as she struggled to sit up. Her eyes widened.

"You know Evelyn." Luke said motioning to Beca's mother who sat in the front seat of the SUV. She was tied up similar to Chloe and had tape covering her mouth. The look of horror in her eyes as she glanced between Luke and the redhead in the back.

"What time does your husband usually get up?" Luke asked impatiently. He glanced at his watch. It was just before 6 in the morning. "We don't have all day."

Evelyn looked back towards the large home knowing that her husband would be up at any moment.

Chloe struggled in the back seat to push herself up so that she could see what the two were looking at. The pain in her abdomen was almost unbearable as she finally scooted herself up enough to see. She took a breath trying to reduce the blinding pain when the flash forced her eyes shut. She could feel the heat on her face through the windshield of the car. She forced herself to look back at the house that was instantly in flames.

"Looks like Mr. Lewis is up." Luke said as he watched the cloud of smoke billow from the house and rise into the lightening sky. "Was anyway."

Chloe heard sobs. She looked towards Evelyn who sat watching her home be engulfed in flames. She was trembling. Tears streaked down her face.

"Don't worry Evelyn." Luke said softly as he turned towards the older woman. "He didn't feel a thing. I promise. It blew as soon as he switched on the light. The spark ignited the gas. It was painless." Luke said trying to comfort the older woman.

The sounds of sirens filled the air.

"Well time for us to go. Gotta get to school." Luke said as he turned the car on and sped off.

 **XxXxXx**

"I know for sure she was there." Beca said as she drove quickly through the streets. "There was rope and blood. It was fresh."

"Did you call the cops?" Jesse asked.

"Yeah. I spoke to Amy right before I called you. She's sending a unit out." Beca answered. The loud sound of the bell ringing filled the phone. She tried to listen but couldn't make out the announcement.

"What did it say?" She asked.

She waited but he didn't respond. "Jesse. What did it say?" She asked again.

Beca could hear him running. She could hear the sound of his breath through the phone. The sound of his boots on the floor.

"Residential fire." He finally answered.

"Residential?" Beca questioned as she drove down the dark streets. "Think it's him?"

"Beca." Jesse said warningly. She heard the firetruck door slam shut.

"What?" She asked. "Where is it?"

"7293 Canyon Place." Jesse answered.

Beca's head turned quickly to look over her right shoulder. In the direction of the address. She saw it. The smoke pluming up into the sky as the sun barely began to illuminate the sky. Her mother's house. Beca threw the phone down and quickly turned the car in the direction of the call. She stepped on the gas pedal as she watched the dark smoke continue to fill the sky. She was close enough to hear the sirens. Close enough to see the flames. She skidded to a stop just as Squad 61 was jumping out of Ladder Truck 72. She watched as Bumper and his men readied their hoses. Beca sprinted to the truck. She kicked her shoes off and practically jumped into her turnout pants. She pulled the suspenders over her shoulders and reached up into the truck to retrieve her jacket and helmet.

"You can't go in there Beca." She turned quickly seeing Chief Smith standing between her and the fire.

"You can't stop me." She said as she pulled her gloves on. She looked into his eyes and she saw them. She saw Tom's dark eyes looking back at her.

"I'm so sorry" He apologized. "I didn't know he was capable of something like this."

Beca didn't answer. She pushed past Chief Smith and ran towards the large house she visited her mother at 2 days ago. She reached up for her comms button and panicked when she realized it was missing. Beca raced into the house and up the unsteady staircase unaware of where her fellow firefighters were or what the status of the rescue was. All she knew was that her mother's room was up that staircase. She took the steps two at a time until she reached to second story. "Mom?" She screamed out as loud as she could. She made her way into the first room on the floor, kicking the door open with her boot. "Fire department! Call out!" She yelled as she coughed out the smoke that instantly flooded her lungs.

 **XxXxXx**

"Come on ladies. We don't have much time." Luke said as he dropped Dean Lewis to the floor next to Chloe. "You guys have to stop with all the fighting. It only pisses me off and puts me behind schedule."

Chloe looked to see blood coming down from Evelyn's face.

"And trust me. It's going to be important to stay on schedule. The kids will be here soon and we need them. We need them to distract the heroic firefighters" he sarcastically rolling his eyes as he said it, "just enough to not look for the two of you."

They watched as he poured liquid all over the floor. "All but Beca anyway." He shrugged as he tossed the empty red gas can to the side of the room. "If I know our girl" he smirked, "She's at your house" he said looking at Evelyn, "well what was your house" he emphasized the past tense. "She's looking for you and when the call comes in for the school she'll figure it out. She'll come looking for you. And I have no doubt that she'll find one of you." He said as he dug through his black duffle bag. "But the question is, will you tell her the other is here?" He questioned looking at the women. "Don't worry. I'll spread you two ladies out far enough that the building will just keep burning down around you guys."

The two teachers exchanged looks between them.

"If she finds you first Chloe, will you tell her that her mother is also trapped in here? You won't be able to stop her from running back in the burning building." Luke smiled.

"And if she finds you first mom" he said turning towards the Dean. "Will you tell her the woman she loves is tied up in the other end of the burning building? If you don't do you think she will ever forgive you?" He asked with a sadistic smirk on his face. He looked between them as if he was waiting for an answer. They sat looking back at him. Chloe had tears in her eyes as she weighed the options. A tear fell and ran down her cheek and over the thick grey tape that still covered her mouth.

* * *

 **AN: Oh crap! Thoughts, comments, reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	39. Chapter 38

"Mom. Richard!" Beca yelled out as she crawled on the floor of the bedroom. Her eyes burned but she refused to close them as she searched for her mother and stepfather. Her mother met Richard Lewis when she was 17 and had married him when Beca was 19. Richard was a nice man. A successful investment banker in LA. He never tried to be her father. Never tried to replace the man she idolized and Beca appreciated that. Their relationship was cordial. He was nice to her mother. Took care of her. Loved her. Beca choked on the smoke as she continued through the upstairs hallways and rooms shouting as loud as she could.

Jesse pulled his oxygen mask off his face as soon as he exited the front door of the large house. He'd seen the body in the kitchen. Charred and unrecognizable. But he knew who it was. It was Beca's stepfather. He stumbled forward when someone ran by him hitting hard on the shoulder. He looked up to see Theo rip his mask off just in enough time to vomit on the grass. His eyes lifted to the Jeep that sat parked in the street in front of the house. "Beca" he said to himself. He looked around frantically for his best friend hoping to spot her standing outside the house. He began to panic. He reached for his comm button. "Mitchell report" He requested and waited. He looked up to see Chief Smith on the phone speaking animatedly to whomever was on the other line. Jesse turned back to the house. "Mitchell report" he said again.

"She doesn't have a comm Swanson." Chief Smith answered his request. "She went in 3 minutes ago."

Jesse pulled his mask over his face as he ran back in the house. "Dispatch is reporting a fire at the Hidden Hills Academy." Jesse heard Chief Smith report to the unit. "Other units have been dispatched but I want this fire out and all available crew to the school ASAP." Jesse stood in the entry way looking in all directions of the house. He'd just came from the first floor and didn't see Beca. He looked up the staircase that was quickly going up in flames. "Swanson going to the second floor." He said reporting to his unit.

"We cleared the second floor" Dax's voice replied.

Jesse ignored him and took the staircase as quickly as possible. He was half way up when he felt the wood crumble underneath his boots. He jumped and managed to grab the top landing of the staircase with one hand. He looked beneath him briefly before he swung his left hand up to the top step. He pulled himself as far as he could before kicking his foot to the side missing the step the first time but successfully hooking his leg with the second attempt. Once he was securely on the second level he moved quickly, staying low, looking for Beca.

She could barely breathe as she opened the closet door in the master bedroom. "Mom" She wheezed barely audible. She couldn't see anymore. It was so hot in the house. The flames licking the walls and ceiling. Some of the second floor beginning to cave in. She felt the tears filling her eyes. They stung and burned as one slid down her cheek. Her father would be so disappointed in her. She was supposed to protect her mother after he died. She was supposed to take care of her but instead she did the opposite. She pulled away from the woman. A women she was once close to was now more of a stranger and there was no one to blame but herself. Beca dropped her head down to her arm. Her helmet pushed up to one side as she laid face down halfway in her mother's walk in closet. It was the last room to look in on the floor and she hadn't found her. She was probably dead.

Jesse reached forward and grabbed Beca's ankle and pulled her backwards. He had most of her body underneath his when he wrapped his arm around her stomach and pulled her to her feet both of them stumbling towards the window that had already been blown out either by the initial explosion or the heat. He lifted her and pushed her out of the window and onto the roof.

Beca looked back at him as he climbed out of the window landing hard on the roof next to her.

Jesse pulled off his oxygen mask and placed it over Beca's face allowing her to take in fresh oxygen. She coughed violently as the gas filled her lungs. Jesse held it in place as she coughed and tried to push it away. He knew it hurt but she needed to flush out her lungs.

"She wasn't in there" Jesse yelled to her.

Beca's head turned quickly in his direction. Her eyes wide with question.

"We cleared the second floor." He replied. He could see the disbelief mixed with relief wash over her face but he needed to tell her. He shook his head slowly from side to side. "Richard" He said solemnly. "He was the only one in the house. He didn't make it."

"Swanson report" Jesse heard in his ear. He looked down to see Chief Smith and the remaining members of Squad looking up at them. He reached for his comm button. "She's okay. Can we get a ladder up here?"

Seconds later the top rungs of an aluminum ladder landed against the side of the roof.

Beca took the oxygen mask off and past it back to him, thanking him with her eyes. "There's more" he said quickly. "There is a situation over at the school."

She didn't need to hear anything else. The adrenaline flooded her body and she was over the side of the roof and half way down the ladder before Jesse moved. Her feet hit the grass and she turned quickly to Theo. "I need comms and O2" She said quickly.

Theo nodded and headed in the direction of the truck to get both for his Lieutenant.

 **XxXxXx**

Luke buttoned up the janitor's shirt that he pulled from a nearby storage closet. "It's time to say goodbye" He said looking between both women. He bent down, pulling out a handgun from his bag, stuffing it in the back of his pants.

Chloe's eyes darted back down to Dean Lewis who was frighteningly calm. Chloe assumed the older woman was in shock. She looked back to Luke who approached her. He bent down to whisper, "Don't worry Chlo. It will be over before you know it." He winked. Stood. Pulled a matchbook from his pocket folding the top over and pulled one single matchstick loose. He drug it quickly along the back lighting it. The fire flared up before settling down to a slow burn. He dropped the match on the ground close to where he'd poured the gasoline. Chloe watched as the match burned down slowly before burning out.

"Just kidding" He teased. He lit another match and then lit the whole book. He dropped it and Chloe watched it bounce on the floor. Then she saw the flame catch enough gasoline and a line of fire crawled its way across the floor separating them from her.

Luke reached down for the strap on his bag. He lifted it and slug it over his head letting the strap cross his body. He bent down to pick up Beca's mother by her right arm. He effortlessly pulled the woman to her feet and led her out of the room.

Her mouth still taped, hands and feet bound, Chloe scooted backwards as fast as she could trying to put as much space between her and the fire as possible. She moved as quickly as she could until her back hit the wall and she was out of space with nowhere else to go.

Ladder Truck 72 pulled in front of the school as student's are being lead out the back by teachers. Beca could see them in a distance. She looked back towards the school seeing smoke pouring out of every window and door, neighboring fire departments working quickly. Some fire fighters were breaking windows to vent the blaze. Some were carrying people out. Some were aiming water on parts of the building.

"Keep in touch" Beca said over comms as she jumped from the truck and ran as fast as she couls towards the building. She knew where her team was headed. They'd already talked through their plan. Each volunteering to enter the building to search for her mother and Chloe. She was convinced that one of them, possibly both were there. She prayed the building had been updated with the changes Chief Smith suggested they make after fire safety day. Beca ran through the school moving quickly past a few remaining students who were being lead out of the building by staff and fire fighters. She was headed for the back of the building. To the original nurses office. Part of the original school layout that was built in 1924. The rest of the school had been remodeled but some rooms remained even though they weren't being used. As part of the recommendations made by the fire department, the old room wasn't up to code and was a danger to staff and students and therefore needed to be sealed. It was where she was headed. It was the obvious place to hide and the most dangerous.

Luke walked quickly with Dean Lewis through the hall. He'd removed the tape from her mouth and the rope from her legs so she could walk. He held her hands close to him to give the appearance that he was assisting the woman. He wasn't surprised that no one noticed them as they headed in the opposite direction of everyone else. Dean Lewis occasionally drug her feet, tripping, but being caught by the strong young man who just killed her husband. A firefighter ran by them. Her eyes followed the man as she was pulled in the opposite direction. "Help" She said loudly but was quickly pulled into an empty classroom.

"Shut up" Luke said loudly. He slapped her across the face. "Shut up or I'll kill you right now and you won't have a chance." He threatened pulling the gun out from behind his back and shoving in her face.

She didn't care but she nodded. She knew she needed to be strong. Be compliant. Not for herself but for Beca. She didn't need to get shot in this empty classroom. She needed to be found so she could tell someone where the art teacher was. She didn't care if she lived or died but Dean Lewis nodded and allowed herself to be pulled into the hallway again.

"Swanson Report" Beca demanded as she turned the corner and a long hallway laid out in front of her. She could see the door that lead down to the basement at the very end.

"Principal office is cleared." Jesse responded. "Theo report."

An anxious minute later Theo's deep voice called back, "Art room clear. West wing, second floor, evacuated."

"Mitchell report" Chief Smith's voice sounded.

Beca sprinted down the hallway. She stopped suddenly after passing an adjacent corridor. Movement in the hall caught her eye. She turned around and jogged back to the opening of the hall just in time to see a man and woman turn the corner. It was odd to her that anyone would still be in that hallway. No one else was around and they were headed in the wrong direction. She knew from previous drills at the school that the direction the two were headed lead to the electrical room but it wasn't marked as an emergency exit. Beca jogged after the two. She turned the corner and yelled, "Hey!"

Luke glanced over his shoulder at the sound of someone yelling in their direction. "Shit" he mumbled.

Evelyn looked behind her, her eyes widening at the sight of her daughter running towards them.

Luke spun them around quickly and pointed the gun in Beca's direction.

Beca stopped suddenly when she recognized Luke and her mother. She could see the look of terror on her mother's face.

"Mitchell Report" Chief repeated. He waited again for her to check in.

Beca reached for her comms button just as Luke fired a shot in her direction.

Jesse's hands flew to his ears at the sound that echoed through his ears.

"Mitchell Report" Chief Smith demanded. "Unit report."

"Theo. Floor 2. West Wing." Theo said as he moved quickly towards the stairwell.

"Swanson. Floor 1. Admin offices." Jesse said quickly. "Beca? Report?" He asked.

Beca hit the floor and slid to a stop when her back hit the wall. She looked up to see Luke with the gun aimed at her walking quickly in her direction dragging her mother behind him. She scrambled backwards as quickly as she could her gear slipping and sliding all over the floor. She looked back to a classroom door that was just behind her right heel. She kicked backwards knocking the door open. She heard another shot ring out as she was able to crawl into the classroom. Still on her hands and knees she slammed the door shut. Beca crawled a couple of feet to the first desk in the classroom. She grabbed the school chair and shoved the back of it under the classroom door handle, diving to her right as several shots blasted through the wooden door. She kicked her feet out in front of her quickly using the traction on her boots to scoot herself up against the wall.

"Mitchell. First fl" Jesse heard in his ear. He couldn't make out everything she said because of the sound of more gunshots. His feet moved quickly in the direction Beca was assigned to check. "Nor" crackled through the radio, "ast." Was the last he heard over the comm system.

Chloe couldn't watch the fire spread any further. It was torture, watching it grow. Watching it latch onto anything in its path. Watching it destroy it. There wasn't much in the old janitor's closet in the basement except for a couple old mops and some cardboard boxes. All of which were fuel for the fire Luke lit and left. Sweat poured from her skin. Coating her body. She never knew this kind of heat before. She didn't remember it being this hot in the bathroom at 10/70. She wondered what it would feel like to be burned. To feel your skin melt away. Chloe rolled over exposing her back to the fire and pushing her face against the cold concrete wall as the fire continued to slowly make its way over to her.

Beca pulled the oxygen tank off her back as she stood with her back to the wall. She waited until the door flew open and as Luke stepped inside the classroom she swung the tank hitting him in the stomach sending him stumbling backwards. She followed him quickly out of the hallway trying to disarm him. Luke regained his footing and surged forward tackling her to the ground. Beca's hands wrapped around Luke's right using all her strength to hold the gun in the air as they wrestled for dominance.

Luke's left fist struck Beca's face snapping her head quickly to the side as her arms feel heavily to the ground. He pushed himself up to straddle the firefighter who lay dazed beneath him.

Beca slowly moved her head back to look up at Luke who suddenly pitched forward and fell to the side of her landing hard on the floor.

Evelyn stood with the oxygen tank in her hands looking down at Beca who pushed herself backwards away from the man who lay next to her on the floor. She looked up at her mother who placed the tank down slowly.

"Are you okay?" Beca asked looking up at her mother who was clearly experiencing a wide range of emotions.

Evelyn didn't reply she just stood looking at her daughter. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know if she could speak. All of today's events ran threw her mind. From being woken suddenly by Luke standing over her while she lay in bed holding a gun over her husband's head. To being drug from the house, bound and thrown in the passenger seat of the car. Seeing Chloe lay unconscious in the backseat. Her home exploding in flames. The realization that her husband was dead. Chloe's bright blue eyes filled with fear as the flames ignited in the basement. Chloe.

"Beca, yo" Evelyn began to say but stopped when her daughter's body shot forward. Luke once again tackling her to the ground.

Luke pushed himself to his feet and turned back towards the older woman who stood motionless in the hallway.

Beca kicked her feet causing Luke to trip forward. He grabbed Dean Lewis in his arms as he fell towards the ground. Beca watched as her mother landed hard on the floor, her head snapping back violently as her skull connected with the tile flooring, her body going limp.

Luke crashed down on top of the older woman knocking the gun out his hand. Beca pushed herself up to her feet as she scrambled to where the gun slid to a stop. She stumbled past Luke and her mom as the blonde man grabbed at her ankles. She kicked backwards to free herself from his grip. Beca lunged forward for the weapon but only pushed it farther down the hallway.

"Becs!" Jesse yelled as he rounded the corner. He saw her crawling on the floor with Luke on her heels.

Beca looked over her shoulder to see Jesse coming their way. "Get my mom" She yelled as she continued to move towards the gun, leading Luke away from her mother who hadn't moved since she fell. She surged forward her hand's landing on the weapon. She pulled it underneath her and curled her body into a small ball when she felt Luke on her back trying to get to the weapon.

Jesse stopped by Evenly Lewis. Her eyes were open but lifeless. He looked up to see Beca and Luke struggling. He bent down to pick up the older woman. He lifted her and watched as her upper body sagged towards the ground. He knew it wasn't good. She wasn't moving or responding. He ran with Beca's mother in his arms back down the hallway and around the corner. He gently laid her down on the floor and placed two fingers on her neck. His eyes closed tightly and his jaw clenched. He stood slowly and turned back towards Beca and Luke.

Her thick gloves made it hard to grasp the weapon. Luke on her back pulling at her arms made it harder. Beca glanced down to her chest where she had one hand on the gun as she was pinned against the floor. She could hear Jesse's footsteps running away from them. She felt Luke's weight lifting off of her and took her chance. She turned quickly whipping her arm out, the butt of the gun making contact with his face. It was enough to knock him off her and down to the floor. She moved towards him and struck him again with the weapon. Blood was streaming from the new gash on his forehead. Beca stepped over him and began to make her way towards the end of the hallway where she could see Jesse beginning to come towards her. She suddenly lost her footing as Luke's right hand grabbed hold of her boot. She landed hard but was able to kick free of him. His grip released as he slumped back down on the floor. Beca pushed herself to her feet again and headed towards Jesse.

"You'll never find her" Luke gargled.

Beca stopped suddenly at his words. She turned back towards the man whose blonde hair was beginning to be dyed red by the blood seeping from his skull.

It took all of his strength to turn his head towards the firefighter. "Chloe. She's probably already dead." He said as he coughed, drops of blood shooting out of his mouth.

Beca waited for more but Luke laid motionless on the floor. Chloe was here. She needed to find her. Beca turned and jogged back towards Jesse. "Chloe's in the building." She said out of breath.

"Beca" Jesse said sadly.

"Did you hear me?" Beca shouted as she grabbed for his arm to pull him out of the hallway.

Jesse stopped her. "You're mom. She's gone."

Beca's eyes widened. "What?" She asked.

"She's dead." Jesse said again.

* * *

 **AN: Thoughts please...**


	40. Chapter 39

A tear fell from Beca's face and landed on her mother's cheek. She stood up to her feet and turned away from Jesse.

"Where are you going?" He asked loudly as his best friend moved back down the hallway towards Luke. "Beca?" He called out as he walked to catch up to her. "What about Chloe?"

At the mention of the redhead's name Beca began running towards the man who had destroyed so many lives. The man who was responsible for all of this. She came to a stop next to his body. She thought for a moment that he was dead but a small smirk appeared on his face. Beca bent down so that she was inches from him.

"Where is she?" Beca demanded. "Tell me where she is and we'll get you out of here."

He didn't answer. He laid there looking up at her.

Beca grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him slightly off the ground. "Tell me where she is!" She screamed in his face.

He coughed again and Beca felt drops of liquid land on her face. She dropped him back down to the ground as she stood up.

"Promise?" He gargled painfully. "You'll get me out of here?" He asked.

She nodded.

Luke closed his eyes tight. He was couldn't move and he could barely breath but he didn't want to die. He tried to swallow but couldn't. He opened his eyes to see Beca and Jesse standing over him. "The basement" he mumbled.

Beca turned and ran back down the hallway. She felt Jesse at her side. They reached the door at the end of the hallway quickly. Beca reared back and kicked the door open so hard it ripped the old door off the hinges.

The only sign of fire in the old basement was smoke. It was filling the air of the large room. She pulled her flashlight from her pants shining it through the smoke as it billowed and floated through the air. She walked past a small janitor's closet as they continued into the basement.

"CHLOE!" Beca yelled as loudly as she could. She and Jesse split up and went in opposite directions of the basement. The smoke was thick and seeing was difficult. She could hear Jesse calling out the redhead's name from somewhere across the room.

"Where's the smoke coming from?" Jesse called out from across the room as he waived his hand in front of his face.

Beca didn't know. She couldn't find the source. She looked up to see if possibly smoked was coming out of any vents in the ceiling or shafts that possibly ventilated the room. "Chloe!" Beca yelled as loud as she could. Her throat still sore and tight from the smoke she inhaled at her mother's house.

Chloe could hear Beca's voice in her head. Calling her name. Tears mixed with sweat as she laid on the concrete crying. She was exhausted and in pain and scared. She just wanted it to all be over. When she heard the voice again she stopped for crying for a second and listened, holding her breath. Maybe it was actually real. Maybe Beca was there looking for her. Chloe strained as hard as she could to yell but the tape sealing her mouth shut didn't allow for her scream to be heard. She could feel the tightness on the side of her neck out as she yelled as hard as she could.

"CHLOE!" Beca yelled just as she met Jesse at the back of the room. "He said she was here." Beca coughed.

"Maybe he lied. Tried to trick you. Where else could she be?" Jesse asked.

Beca shook her head. She didn't have an answer. She moved quickly back towards the steps that lead out of the basement.

She heard Beca's voice again. Chloe pressed her face against the concrete and drug the side of her mouth along the floor slowly. She looked up to see a wet streak across the concrete from the sweat off her face. She leaned back down and pressed her face harder against the floor this time she rubbed her face to try and move the tape. She felt a piece of it pull away from her cheek, giving her hope. She repeated this move, again and again until the tape was half way off her mouth.

"Help!" Chloe yelled as loudly as she could. "Beca!" Her voice cracked she screamed so loud.

Beca's foot hit the third step as when she heard a scream. It was high pitched. She waited. Listening. Maybe it was her imagination. She began lifting her right foot to take the fourth step when she heard her name. "Chloe!" Beca yelled. "Chloe!" she repeated.

Jesse turned to look behind him. He'd heard the voice too. He followed Beca quickly back down the steps into the room.

"Beca" Chloe screamed again. The flames were so tall she couldn't see the other side of the room anymore.

"Call out Chloe" Beca yelled as she jumped back down the steps. "Where are you?" She said as she stood at the base of the steps.

"Beca!" Chloe yelled again. "Hurry. Please hurry"

"Fuck" Beca cursed at herself as she turned to the dark door. How did they miss this the first time? She reached for the door handle and turned it. Locked. Beca used her shoulder, jamming it into the door twice before it opened. The flames in the room reached the ceiling and the new air that flooded the room when Beca opened it only made them grow angrier. She shielded her face instinctively with her arm as the fire flashed towards her. "Chloe!" Beca yelled once the flames pulled back.

"Beca" Chloe yelled. "Over here" Chloe choked and coughed.

Beca crossed the room quickly. She saw the small ball that Chloe had rolled herself into in the far corner of the room. She landed hard on her knees right beside the redhead, her hand's hovering over Chloe momentarily as she looked her over.

Chloe raised her head slightly from the concrete feeling relieved that Beca had found her. "Help me" she requested.

Beca reached her gloved hands for the tape that was still attached to half of Chloe's mouth. Beca's hand shook as she took the tape between her fingers, slowly pulling the remaining tape of Chloe's mouth. "I'm so sorry" Beca apologized. Her eyes filled with tears at the sight of Chloe bound on the floor.

"Luke has your mom. He took her somewhere in the building." Chloe said quickly. "You have to find her."

Beca heard the redhead but didn't reply. She reached down and began pulling at the knots that held Chloe's hands behind her back. She tried but couldn't untie them. Beca pulled her gloves off and reached for a small side pocket on her left pant leg. She pulled the small knife out and opened it before going to work on the rope.

"Did you hear me Beca?" Chloe asked as the firefighter hovered over her.

Beca didn't trust herself to speak. She continued working on the redhead's restraints until she was free. Beca returned the knife to her pocket and began undoing on the Velcro of her jacket. "We have to go" Beca said as she stood and removed her turnout coat. She reached for Chloe's hand's and pulled the redhead to her feet and wrapped her jacket around Chloe's shoulders.

"Luke has your mother" Chloe said again. Louder and more forceful this time as she noticed Jesse trying to fan the flames out with his jacket. Beca bent down and lifted Chloe off her feet smoothly. Chloe's arms wrapped around the firefighter's neck as she was carried quickly through the flames in the room and up the steps and into the hallway.

"You're going to be okay" Beca said trying to soothe the redhead but as she said them the words hit her hard. After everything that had happened. All the people that got hurt, all the people that died. Her mother. How was anything going to be okay she questioned. Beca felt Chloe pull her head from the side of her neck.

Chloe felt a change physically take over Beca's body. She felt the strong firefighter begin is shake slightly. "You're mom" Chloe spoke. Her voice strained.

Beca looked down the hallway to where her mother's body laid on the floor. "Do you think you can walk?" Beca asked.

Chloe took a second to think about it and shook her head slightly. "I think so." She answered.

Beca placed her down gently on the floor. She held the redhead's hand tightly as she began to lead her out of the building.

Chloe's free hand flew over her mouth at the sight of the body on the floor in front of them. She fought hard to catch her breath as she felt Beca's hand loosen from hers. She let Beca slip away and watched the brunette bend down to her mother's body.

Beca's hand swiped gently down her mother's face closing her eyes. She looked up to Jesse who nodded silently. He crouched down and picked up Beca's mother effortlessly.

"Go with Jesse" Beca said turning to Chloe.

Chloe's eyes snapped towards hers. "No" She said quickly. "I'm not leaving without you."

Beca's eyes were unwavering. "I'll be right behind you." She said looking at her girlfriend.

"Why can't I stay with you?" Chloe asked. "Please" She pleaded. She didn't want to be separated from Beca again.

"Jesse. Please take her." Beca asked turning towards her best friend.

He nodded affirmatively. "Chloe. Please." He begged the redhead. He didn't know what Beca was going to do but he knew she was going back to where they left Luke.

"No." Chloe protested.

Beca reached behind her back and pulled Luke's gun from her waistband. She lowered her arm to the floor.

Chloe recognized the weapon she last saw Luke holding.

Beca looked at her mother again lying in Jesse's arms. Her left hand twitched as she held the gun tightly in her grasp. She turned back down the hallway and rounded the corner to see Luke laying on the tile. She took several steps towards the man who lifted his head looked up at her.

"You promised" Beca faintly heard as Chloe appeared behind her. Beca's left hand raised and she pointed the gun in his direction.

"Beca, what are you doing?" Jesse questioned quickly.

She could see her hand shaking as she held the gun in front of her. She turned back towards Jesse and Chloe. "Please. Get them out of here." Beca asked quietly.

Jesse was scared. He'd never seen that look in her eyes before. They were dull. She looked broken.

Beca took one last look at her mother's body. Then Chloe. The dried blood on her face. Swollen bottom lip. Black eye. Face covered in dirt and soot. Wrists bloody from the rope burns. Eyes red from crying and from smoke irritation.

"Let's go Chloe." Jesse said.

The redhead made no to attempt to move. She stood watching Beca intently, Luke's body on the floor behind her.

"Get her out of here Jesse" Beca ordered loudly.

Jesse repositioned Beca's mom's body, laying her over his shoulder. He reached out and grabbed Chloe's arm. "Come on" He said to Chloe but not taking his eyes off Beca who watched him pull the redhead away from the hallway and towards the front of the building.

Once they were out of sight Beca turned her head back down the hallway towards Luke. She slowly walked towards the man who laid in the same position Beca left him in earlier. With each step she lowered the gun.

He looked up at her. The gun pointed at him. "Do it" he challenged. "Shoot me."

Beca lowered the gun the remaining distance letting her arm fall to her side. She looked just to the left of Luke to the yellow oxygen tank that laid on the ground. Beca slipped the gun back in the waist band of her pants and stepped over Luke and bent down to pick out the tank that she once carried on her back. She lifted the tank above her head and straddled the man. Tears were streaming down her face as she held the heavy cylinder over her head. Anger flooded her body. Pain coursed through her. The faces of the little kids in the day care building. The children that were attached to the bomb at the hotel. Benji's mother's eyes full of emotion as she watched the casket that held her only child's body being lowered into the ground. Stacie bloodied and beaten in the park. Chloe's bright blue eyes filled with fear. Her skin stained with blood. Her mother's body hanging limply over Jesse's shoulder. Beca closed her eyes and took a breath trying to settle herself. She opened them just as Luke surged upward reached around her waist pulling her crashing down to the ground. The oxygen tank landed hard on the floor next to Luke as she fell over him. She felt him reaching around her trying to get the gun from behind her. Luke wrapped his large hand around Beca's arm pulling her back towards him. She saw his legs twist up and wrap around her torso slamming her down to the ground as he pulled her arm upward.

Beca felt the bones in her arm break. She felt the pain surge through her. She heard herself scream. She reached behind her and pulled the gun out quickly in an attempt to point it at him. Luke let go of her arm and reached for the weapon knocking it out of her hand when she pulled back suddenly. Beca fell backwards kicking and clawing to get away from him. She managed to scramble away from him, kicking him hard with the heel of her boot. She saw his head fly backwards. Beca pulled away from him with her right arm before flipping over to her butt. She pushed herself away from him quickly with her feet. She tried to hold her left arm close to her body to ease the pain as she reached forward for the gun with her right, continuing to scramble away from him frantically. She turned back towards Luke as he lifted his body. She raised the weapon quickly taking aim.

Luke screamed as he pushed himself to his knees in an attempt to get to his feet.

Beca's arm shook as she pulled the trigger.

The bright sunlight hurt her eyes as she stepped out of the building. Chloe shielded her eyes as Jesse drug her down the steps of the school. She felt overwhelmed by the number of people who instantly surrounded her. Jesse's left hand still held tightly to her left as she felt herself being pushed into a sitting position and then being forced to lay down. Suddenly Stacie's head was blocking the sun. Her mouth was moving but Chloe couldn't understand her. Everyone stopped at the sounds of the gunshots ringing out. She thought she heard three shots but she couldn't be sure. She raised her head to find Jesse. She didn't see him but she heard his voice. Her head dropped down to the stretcher and she felt the tears streaming down her cheeks, falling onto her neck and rolling backwards.

Jesse had laid Evelyn Lewis on a stretcher. He was watching Chloe be checked out by Stacie. He was trying to explain what happened to Chief Smith, expecting Beca to walk out of the building at any moment when he heard the shots. He turned back towards the building in shock. He heard three quick shots. He took a step towards the building when he heard the familiar sound of an explosion rip through the building. He screamed out her name as he broke out into a sprint back into the building.

She pulled the trigger quickly. The gun kicked back in her hand and jolted her arm violently. He was still moving forward so she shot again. And again. She rolled over just in time as the flames flew over the top of her. Her whole body hurt from the force of the exploding oxygen tank but she willed herself to move. Beca looked over her shoulder towards the origin of the explosion. She looked away quickly from the sight of Luke. Parts of him covering the floor. Beca dropped the gun from her right hand and began again to pull herself away from the smoldering fire. Her left arm dragging on the floor. Her legs barely working.

"Please Stacie" Chloe begged. "We can't leave until we know. Please." Chloe cried.

"Know what?" Stacie asked.

"If Beca's alive." Chloe cried her voice broken.

Stacie nodded at the redhead who laid on the stretcher below her. "Okay." Stacie agreed. She turned towards CR and asked her to stay with Chloe. Stacie climbed out of the back of the ambulance and started towards the school that was now flooded with cops. She looked around for Jesse but didn't see him. She started to make her way towards Chief Smith when Theo pushed the front doors of the school open. He was followed by a couple of police officers that parted to reveal Jesse with Beca's right arm wrapped over his shoulder as he helped her out of the building. Stacie ran towards the brunette as quickly as she could. Her arms were littered with minor burns. Her face bleeding. She wasn't putting much weight on her right leg and her left arm was obviously broken in several places.

* * *

 **AN: A quick update cause I love you guys so much. Didn't want you to a have to wait too long to find out what happened. I so ready to hear your thoughts. They are my favorite...**


	41. Chapter 40

For a moment, right before her eyes opened, she was at peace. She wasn't in pain. Her body was relaxed. That ended as soon as she heard the beep from the heart rate monitor. Her eyes shot open quickly as she tried to figure out where she was.

"It's okay. You're okay" Aubrey said softly as she rubbed Chloe's hand. "You're in the hospital. You have some injuries but nothing major. You're just here so the doctors can keep an eye on you."

"Beca?" Chloe asked. She remembered Stacie climbing in the ambulance telling her that Beca was going to be okay. She remembered seeing the brunette firefighter looking for her through the crowd and then the ambulance door closed.

"She's okay. I haven't seen her but Jesse was here a little bit ago and said she's on the ortho floor getting her arm casted." Aubrey answered.

"She has a broken arm?" Chloe asked not remembering that. The last time she saw Beca she was in one piece.

"Yeah. I don't really know what happened Chlo. Theo came and got Jessica and I from the firehouse and brought us here after they brought you in." Aubrey explained.

"Can I see her?" Chloe asked trying to sit up but immediately winced in pain.

Aubrey stood quickly. She placed her hands gently on Chloe's shoulders and eased her best friend down. "Don't." She said. "You have three broken ribs. You shouldn't move much. Try to stay still."

Chloe remembered. She remembered being tied up in the warehouse. She remembered trying to fight. She remembered Luke kicking her. She remembered being drugged. Remembered seeing Dean Lewis's house blow up. Being trapped by the fire at the school. Tears filled her bright blue eyes as she remembered seeing Dean Lewis the last time. Laying on the floor. Jesse picking her up and carrying her out of the school. The gun shots.

Chloe tried to surge forward again but was again met with pain and Aubrey's resistance. "Please Chloe. You'll only hurt yourself more." Aubrey said as she again pushed her best friend back down slowly.

"What about Luke?" She asked. Afraid of the answer. The memory of Beca holding the gun at him flashed before her.

"He's dead." An Australian voice answered.

Chloe looked towards the door as Amy stood in the doorway.

"Do you mind if I come in?" Amy asked.

"Is Beca okay?" Chloe asked immediately.

"Shortstack's fine. She's getting all fixed up." Amy said as she walked into the room. "I'm sorry to have to do this to you already Chloe but I need to ask you some questions."

Chloe watched as Amy pulled out a small notepad and pen. She shook her head. "Okay."

"Can you tell me what happened?" Amy asked.

Chloe blew out a long breath. "Where do I start?" She said as a stray tear fell.

"How about when and where Luke abducted you." Amy suggested.

"Um." Chloe swallowed and furrowed her brows. "Beca had just dropped me off at her apartment. We um, came back from San Francisco early because Stacie went missing. She dropped me out front and I was just about to go up the steps to her apartment when he grabbed me."

"What do you mean? Grabbed you?" Amy asked for clarification.

"He grabbed me from behind. He put his hand over my mouth and pulled me into a car." Chloe explained. She looked over to Aubrey who listened closely and shook her head encouraging Chloe to continue. "He climbed in the backseat over the top of me" Chloe swallowed. "I didn't know what he was going to do. But he tied me up, put tape over my mouth and put a bag over my head."

"And then what happened?" Amy asked as she quickly took notes.

"He drove around for a while. He took me to some sort of warehouse." Chloe answered.

"How did you end up at the school?" Amy asked looking up.

"He said it was time to go. I tried to fight him as much as I could. That's when he kicked me several times. He drugged me with something and I passed out."

"Drugged you?" Amy questioned.

"He held something over my face until I passed out." Chloe clarified. "I woke up in the back of a SUV and Beca's mom, Dean Lewis, was tied up in the front. Like a minute later her house blew up and then Luke took us to the school. It was just after sunrise. No one was at the school yet. He broke in through the electrical room in the back of the school and took us to the old part of the building. He poured gas along the basement floor and lit a match and left me there in a janitor's closet." Chloe explained as the tears were freely flowing. "He took Dean Lewis with him and I didn't see her again until after Beca and Jesse found me."

"After Beca and Jesse found you" Amy repeated her last words, "What happened?"

Chloe shrugged slightly. "They lead me out of the building."

"No. Jesse brought you out. Remember?" Amy asked.

Chloe looked to Aubrey and then back to Amy. "Yeah I guess he did."

"Where was Beca?" Amy asked.

"I don't know. She stayed behind." Chloe answered.

"Do you know why?" Amy asked.

"No. I don't." Chloe answered. "What's this all about Amy? Is Beca in some sort of trouble?" Chloe asked worried.

"No. She's not in trouble Chloe" Amy answered honestly. "I just need to interview everyone involved. She already told me what happened in the school."

"What happened?" Chloe asked quickly.

"I'm sure she will tell you." Amy smiled gently. "I'm sorry all of this happened Chloe but I'm so glad you're okay."

"Thanks" Chloe whispered.

"Me too" Beca's tired voice sounded from the doorway.

Aubrey, Amy and Chloe turned towards the door.

Beca entered slowly and went straight to Chloe. Her left arm was casted from the elbow down and resting in a sling that hung over her shoulder. She reached around Chloe with her right arm and hugged the redhead. Chloe's hands found the sides of Beca's face pushing her away from her body enough to kiss the firefighter. "I love you" Chloe mumbled through her lips.

Beca pulled her lips from Chloe's slowly and rested her forehead against the redheads. "I love you too."

 **XxXxXx**

She couldn't sleep. She was exhausted. More exhausted than she had ever remembered being but she couldn't sleep. She tried. She laid there next to Chloe. Laid there listening to the sound of Chloe breathing. She laid there until she couldn't lay there anymore.

Beca slipped out of Chloe's bed and tip toed into the kitchen. She'd found beer in Chloe and Aubrey's refrigerator. It was the kind she and Jesse drank. She'd drained one fairly quickly and was working on a second as she sat on Chloe and Aubrey's countertop in the darkness of their home.

The guys from the firehouse had gone to her apartment to repair her front door that afternoon but Aubrey insisted that Chloe come home tonight. Partly so she could keep an eye on her best friend and partly because Jesse would be in the house to keep them safe. Beca wanted to go back to her own apartment but Chloe refused to be separated from her and she'd looked at her with her big blue eyes and Beca quickly agreed.

Beca brought the bottle to her lips and tilted her head back as far as it would go. The liquid flowed down her throat as she emptied the second bottle. She placed it on the counter and reached for the third bottle she'd already retrieved from the fridge.

"You shouldn't be drinking when you're on pain killers."

Beca jumped at the sound of Aubrey's voice. She accidently knocked the two empty bottles off the counter, sending them crashing down to the floor. The dark brown bottles shattered into pieces. "I'm so sorry" Beca said as she jumped down from the counter. Her bare foot landed heavy on the floor. She bent down trying to quickly pick up the glass from the floor.

"I didn't mean to scare you. I shouldn't have snuck up on you." Aubrey quickly apologized. She rounded the counter and bent down to help clean the mess. "It's my fault."

Beca wasn't thinking as she pressed her right hand to the floor and made a sweeping motion to gather the glass.

"Beca stop" Aubrey said softly seeing blood streaks on the floor.

The firefighter continued. She pressed her knees to the floor so she could reach the pieces she saw laying farther away.

"Beca" Aubrey said a little bit louder. She reached for Beca's wrist but felt Beca jerk quickly out of her grasp and returned to cutting her hand. "Beca you're bleeding. Please. Stop. Beca" Aubrey pleaded loudly. She heard the brunette sniffle. When she finally looked up into the dark blue eyes she saw tears falling quickly.

When all the large pieces she could see were gathered into a small pile, Beca turned her right hand over and was surprised as the blood flowed from her cut skin. She was surprised because she couldn't feel it. She didn't realize she was cut.

Aubrey maneuvered around the pile of glass and sat on the floor next to Beca. She reached up to one of the kitchen drawers and pulled a dish towel from it. Aubrey wrapped it around Beca's right hand tightly to stop the bleeding. She wrapped her arms around the firefighter, pulling her into her. She felt Beca's body sag into hers. She felt Beca's body shake as the firefighter cried. "You can talk to me you know." Aubrey said softly. "I mean if you want." She offered. Aubrey felt Beca's head nodded softly acknowledging the offer.

"Beca?" Chloe asked as she entered the kitchen. "Are you in here?"

"Chlo" Aubrey said from the floor.

Chloe looked down at the pair wrapped together, leaning against the cupboards, on the kitchen floor. She looked down at the pile of brown glass. The streaks of blood at their feet. Then she looked to Aubrey questioningly.

The blonde waived a hand to her best friend, urging her to come and take her place.

"What happened?" Chloe questioned as she slowly knelt down next to them.

"Later" Aubrey mouthed. She unwrapped her arms from around Beca who was reluctant to let her go.

"Baby?" Chloe whispered. "Are you okay?" She asked as she slid herself into Aubrey's place.

Beca didn't reply. She felt Chloe's arms around her. She smelled her shampoo. She smelled her body wash. She knew it was her but she wasn't sure of anything else. She wasn't sure if she was okay. So she didn't answer.

"Beca. Honey" Chloe soothed. "Can you talk to me?"

Aubrey worked quickly to pick up the glass from the floor. She was sure there were more small pieces scattered on the floor but they would have to wait until morning. Or until Chloe got Beca back to bed.

Chloe slowly bent forward enough to kiss the top of Beca's head. "Please baby" Chloe said into dark hair.

"My mom" Beca said. At least she thought she said it out loud. She wasn't sure.

Chloe closed her eyes at the sound of Beca's broken voice.

"I'm so sorry baby" Chloe said as she held the firefighter a little tighter.

 **XxXxXx**

Her shoes were shiny. She didn't remember polishing them since Benji's funeral but someone had. Beca stood on a bright southern California day looking down at the polished black patent leather dress shoes. She could see the outline of the sun in them. She felt Chloe gently squeeze her right hand. It brought her out of her daze. She looked up slowly to the redhead who stood on her right. She looked beautiful in her black simple wrap dress that flowed down just below her knees. Her bright red hair loosely twisted and perfectly pulled back. Her face showed no sign of the recent abuse she'd endured. Her fading black eye expertly covered by make-up. Her bottom lip completely healed.

Chloe gave Beca a consoling smile and swiped her thumb of the knuckle of Beca's index finger. When she finally had the attention of the firefighter, she flicked her eyes towards the woman in the front of the group.

Beca's attention shifted to the older woman addressing the crowd. It was her mother's best friend Sherry. She was telling a story of her mother from a couple of years ago. A story about school and how much she loved her job and the children and all the teachers she worked with. Beca's eyes moved around the assembly. It was the first time she'd noticed how many people filled the cemetery. The entire staff of Hidden Hills came to pay their respects to their friend and colleague. She continued to scan the attendants. Her brothers and sisters all came to support her. They were all dressed in their formal dressed uniforms because a firefighter's family was their family too and should be honored as such. At least that's what she remembered Dax saying to her when the firetruck arrived. He'd never met her mother but it didn't matter. He saluted the casket with the rest of 72 when it was carried across the grass.

As she stood in the sun with her white hat tucked under her left arm. Chloe's hand in her right and Jesse's hand on her left shoulder it hit her. Her family was gone. She was alone in the world. Her father, long gone and now her mother. Even Richard. She was the only one left. She let the irony wash over her. It had gotten them all. The fire. In her father and Richards case, very literally. The thing she'd spent her adult life fighting. Each and every time she put her life on the line to save others. To save strangers. The irony that she couldn't save them. They were all gone. She was alone.

Chloe instinctively shifted closer to Beca. She'd been stealing glances at the brunette all morning. At the church service. The ride in the car that followed behind the casket. Standing here at the short graveside service. She was worried about her girlfriend. She had been for days. Since she found her and Aubrey wrapped up together on the kitchen floor. She'd barely let Beca out of her sight. Chloe returned her eyes back to the casket that was being slowly lowered into the ground. She dabbed her eye with the tissue she had in her left hand, careful to not remove any over the cover up from her face.

Beca felt Chloe step towards her so that their shoulder's lightly grazed. She felt Chloe's thumb rubbing soothing patterns on her gloved hand. Felt her fingers wrapped around hers tightly. She'd been there the entire time. She'd held her at night. She didn't make her speak. Didn't make her do anything. She'd just been there. As she watched her mother's casket disappear into the ground she couldn't help but feel that with Chloe by her side, she wasn't alone after all.

* * *

 **AN: As I finish this up, I just wanted to thank you guys for your kind words and awesome reviews. This was really something different for me and I really enjoyed experimenting with this type of story. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. Still a couple chapters to finish up but as always I love to hear your thoughts.**


	42. Chapter 41

Beca's hands were full as she pushed the front door closed with her foot. A newspaper was tucked under her arm as she entered her apartment after returning from her Saturday morning run with coffee stacked in her right hand and a bag of muffins hanging from her mouth.

She dropped the bag from her mouth onto the kitchen table and moved her arm away from her body releasing the newspaper. It fell open on the table.

 _Local teacher arrested for participation in recent string of fires._

Beca glanced at the newspaper headline one more time before tossing her keys next to it on the dining room table and continuing towards her bedroom. She entered the room just as Chloe was coming out of the bathroom.

"Coffee" Beca offered to the redhead.

"Thanks babe." Chloe said. She took the coffee and placed a gentle kiss on Beca's cheek.

Beca sat on the end of her bed sipping her coffee. She followed Chloe around the room with her eyes.

Chloe sat her coffee down on Beca's dresser. The one Beca emptied her clothes out of two weeks ago so that Chloe could put some things in. So Chloe would feel more welcome in her home. Chloe pulled open the drawer and retrieved a loose white v-neck tee. She slipped it over her head easily and pulled it down over her bra. She could feel Beca's eyes on her. "Are you starring at my ass?" Chloe asked playfully.

Beca swallowed the hot coffee with a smile. She lowered the cup from her lips, "Yes" she answered honestly.

Chloe smiled but never turned around. She closed the open drawer and reached down for the next. She pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans. Once she had them on she carried her coffee cup over to Beca, who held it while Chloe slipped on her white puma's.

"You don't have to do this, you know." Beca said as the redhead adjusted her shirt. She took her coffee back from Beca. "I know I don't have to. I need to. I want to." She clarified.

"But you love your job so much. It's not fair." Beca whispered. "We've lost so much already. You shouldn't have to give up something you love." Her tone of the last couple of weeks since her mother's funeral had been up and down. Sometimes she felt like herself. Sometimes she couldn't figure out why she was crying, and sometimes she wanted to punch a hole in the wall. It was all very confusing to her but she'd recently been feeling herself having more 'normal' days.

Chloe sighed. They'd had this conversation before. She knew Beca wanted her to be happy but she didn't think they needed to have this particular talk again. She'd made her decision and she was happy with it. "I can't work there anymore Becs. Not after everything that happened." She replied with a soft smile. "And it's okay baby. Yes, it was a great job and a great school but it's not everything."

"Everything" Beca repeated. She'd thought a lot about that particular word in the last couple of weeks. Chloe had said it often. 'Jobs will come and go but they are not everything baby' Chloe's voice sounded through her head. 'I can do anything I want and yes, I love being a teacher but it's not everything.'

Chloe didn't reply but she watched Beca. She could see the brunette thinking. The wheels were definitely turning in her brain. She patted Beca gently on the knee. "I'm supposed to meet AD Giles in 20 minutes so I better get going." Chloe smiled gently.

Beca watched the redhead smile and stand. She watched her make her way towards the bedroom door. "Want me to come with you?" Beca offered loudly. She wasn't sure what made her say it. She hadn't been back to the school since the day of the fire. Since the day her mother died.

Chloe stopped and turned back towards the firefighter who sat on the edge of her bed in her sweaty t-shirt and sweatpants. Of course she wanted Beca to go with her but she didn't dare ask. It was going to be hard enough for her to return to the place she thought she was going to die and to the place Beca's mother died, but she didn't want to ask. She hadn't pushed Beca too much in the last couple weeks. There were times she was worried about her girlfriend and she was sure to be there for her. Comforting her but she didn't push her. But now she was conflicted. Yes, she wanted Beca to go but she didn't want to force her. "Do you want to come with me?" Chloe asked.

Beca shrugged. "You're cleaning out your classroom right?" Beca asked thinking about the layout of the school. If they took the first staircase they wouldn't have to walk by the area that had recently been repaired. The area where she fought with Luke, where her mother died.

"And signing my resignation papers." Chloe added.

Beca looked down at her lap as she contemplated it. She knew it was just as hard for Chloe to go back there as it was for her and she didn't want her girlfriend to have to face it alone. The redhead hadn't made her face anything alone since the incident. "Give me five minutes?" Beca asked looking up.

"Kay" Chloe smiled.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe picked up the frame from her desk. She missed them. Her eyes lifted and found Beca across the room fumbling with paint brushes.

"Mother fucker" Beca mumbled as she dropped another paint brush. Her left hand was pretty much useless with the bulky cast that she still had to wear for another 2 months as she healed. She could barely move the fingers of her dominant hand to grasp the small delicate brushes that were now laying scattered around the floor while her right hand held open the case she was supposed to be packing them in.

"Will you come home with me?" Chloe asked with a smile after watching Beca bend over to try and pick up her supplies.

Beca knelt down and began to reach for the brushes when she heard Chloe's question. "Yeah sure." Beca answered. "But what happened to having our own space away from Aubrey and Jesse?" Beca asked. "I'm guessing they will still be there."

"No" Chloe said softly realizing she wasn't as specific with her question as she should have been. "To Atlanta." She clarified.

Beca's hand stilled.

"To meet my parents." Chloe added as she looked back at the picture for a moment before placing it gently in the white box.

Beca stood to her feet and turned towards the teacher who was looking at her hopefully.

"I'd really love for you to meet them." Chloe smiled.

"Uh" Beca said softly. "When?" She asked.

"I don't know, in a couple of week's maybe?" Chloe questioned. "Before I find another job and before you go back to work." She suggested. "Please."

Beca's eyebrows knitted as she thought about the request. She shook her head quickly not believing why she hadn't answered the question. Why she was thinking about something like this. "Of course." She said loudly. "I'd like that."

"You would?" Chloe asked quickly.

"Yeah" Beca confirmed.

"Because it looked like you were about to pass out when I asked you." Chloe teased.

"I'm sure it did and I'm sorry." Beca smirked as her began to walk towards the redhead. "I don't know what I was thinking. I would love to meet your parents."

Chloe smiled and wrapped her arms around Beca's neck. "Good because I love you and they are going to love you too."

Beca smiled into the kiss Chloe placed on her lips. "I love you" She said against her lips. She pulled back and peppered Chloe's neck with tender wet kisses. "Have you ever had sex in a classroom?" Beca whispered against Chloe's soft skin.

Chloe couldn't answer her verbally. She'd lost the ability to speak at the thought and the way Beca was nipping at her but she shook her head.

"Really?" Beca questioned playfully. She wrapped her right arm around Chloe's hip. The teacher hopped up high enough to wrap her legs around Beca's waist as Beca turned them so she could set Chloe down on her desk. In the last week, she'd learned just how hard it was to live with her left arm casted. Things took her twice as long to get done then they had before. She had to shower with her left arm either in a bag or hanging out of the shower. She had to learn to do almost everything with her right. Everyday things like texting took way too long. And these situations were especially frustrating for her. Sex was hard with one arm but they were learning.

"Never" Chloe mumbled as Beca took her earlobe in her mouth.

Beca pulled back from Chloe's neck and attached their lips together sliding her tongue into Chloe's mouth easily. She felt the heels of Chloe's shoes digging into her back as the redhead tightened her legs around her.

Beca felt Chloe push her away quickly after they heard the sound of a throat clearing.

Chloe whipped her mouth with the back of her hand and jumped down from the desk as Beca stumbled backwards. She turned towards the door with a smile. "AD Giles" She greeted.

"I just came to see if you needed any help." The grey haired man said with a grin.

"No. Nope. We got it" Chloe spat out quickly clearly embarrassed.

Beca turned and made a bee-line for the paint brushes she was previously working on to avoid any conversation with the man.

"Take your time Miss. Beale. I'll be in my office when you're finished." He grinned.

"We shouldn't be much longer" Chloe added.

He smiled as he left leaving them alone again. Chloe looked to Beca whose face what bright red as she dumped all the art supplies she was previously packing carefully into a large open box.

 **XxXxXx**

"Don't be nervous" Chloe said as she reached over and placed a hand on Beca's thigh giving her a gently squeeze. "They will love you."

Beca looked to the redhead and nodded. "Okay" She replied simply.

Chloe pulled their rented car into the driveway of a large two story brick home in a suburb of Atlanta. She turned the car off and turned to her girlfriend with a smile. "Ready?" She asked.

Beca blew out a deep breath as she looked up at the home. "As I'll ever be" She mumbled.

Chloe giggled, "Come on" she said as she turned for the door handle. She was excited to be home. More than she thought she'd be. She exited the car and waited until Beca joined her at the front of the path. She linked her hand with Beca's as they walked up the walkway towards the door. They didn't have time to ring the bell before the door opened quickly. A blonde woman flew out of the door way and threw herself into Beca's arms.

"Thank you Beca" She said as she held the firefighter tight. "I don't know what I would do if I lost my Chloe." The woman said.

Chloe reached over and stroked her mother's back lovingly.

The woman pulled back away from the stunned brunette and just as quickly pulled her daughter in for a tight hug. Chloe returned the embrace just as eagerly. "It's okay mom. I'm okay." She said softly.

Once their greeting was over, Chloe whipped a tear from her eye laughing as her mother mirrored the action. "Mom" Chloe said, "This is Beca" Chloe smiled at her mother who extended her hand formally.

"Babe, this is my mother. Allison Beale." Chloe motioned from her girlfriend to her mother.

"Please. Call me Allie" Mrs. Beale said as Beca took her hand. "It's so nice to finally meet you."

"You as well" Beca smiled. "Thanks for having me in your home."

"Are you kidding? You're practically family." Allie laughed.

Beca noticed it was almost the same as her girlfriends.

"This one" She motioned towards Chloe, "Won't stop talking about how much she loves you. It's kind of annoying." Her mother said with a wink.

Beca had seen that wink before. She seen it from the redhead who stood on her right. She took a moment to notice just how similar the two women were. Similar blue eyes. Same smile. Same laugh. Same wink. Just different hair colors.

"Come in." Allison said quickly, "You're father should be home soon."

"Let me just grab our bags" Beca said pointing over her shoulder back to the car.

Chloe and her mother watched Beca walk away towards the rental. Allison leaned in bumping her daughter's shoulder, "She's cute."

"She's amazing" Chloe corrected her mother.

They watched Beca pull the two small suitcases out of the trunk of the car and set them on the concrete.

"I love her so much." Chloe whispered as Beca approached pulling the carry-on's behind her. She felt her mother place a gentle kiss on her temple.

"I'm so happy for you darling." Allison said softly into her daughter's hair.

 **XxXxXx**

A few hours later found Beca sitting next to Chloe and across from Allie and George Beale at their dinner table.

George eyed the brunette who sat directly across from him. They'd exchanged pleasantries when he made it home from work but now that they had been introduced and made some small talk he was ready to grill the woman. "So Beca"

Beca's eyes shot up to the man across from her. Chloe swallowed. She knew that voice. Her eyes moved quickly between Beca and her dad.

"You have a very dangerous job." He said stating the obvious. "And while I am eternally grateful to you for everything you did to save my daughter, I'm wondering exactly what your plan is."

"Daddy" Chloe said softly.

He turned his dark brown eyes towards his youngest child. "No Chloe." He sat is fork down gently on the side of his plate. "It is one thing hearing how much you love Beca over the phone but seeing the two of you together, I can't help but be worried that you will end up heartbroken." He said softly to Chloe and then turned back towards Beca. "I don't want my daughter to get hurt."

"Yes sir" Beca said as she placed her fork down just as he had. "I don't want to hurt her." Beca admitted. "But I do have a dangerous job. One that I love. One that I don't want to give up. Not yet anyway. I feel like being a firefighter is my calling. My destiny. So my plan" She hesitated and looked at Chloe briefly before looking back to George Beale, "Is to love Chloe as hard as I can. Everyday. Until I can't anymore." Beca answered.

"What if that's not enough for me?" George asked.

"It doesn't have to be enough for you daddy." Chloe interrupted. "It's enough for me."

"I'm sorry Chloe" He cleared his throat, "But you have known each other for a few months and while I'm so happy that you have found someone that you love" he paused as he looked between the two women, "and it is very obvious to anyone that you are both madly in love with each other but have you stopped to think about everything that has happened to you since you met Beca?" He asked.

"George" Allie scolded.

"I'm sorry Allie, I'm just concerned about Chloe. I want the best for her because that's what she deserves. She deserves someone who will put her before them. Someone who will spend their life trying to make her the happiest woman in the world because anything less than that is not good enough in my eyes." He said quickly. "And as nice and lovely as you seem Beca" He turned his attention back to the firefighter, "It doesn't appear to me that you are ready or willing to give that to my daughter." He sighed as he looked into his daughter's sad eyes. "I can't imagine what it must be like to be you Beca. Putting your life on the line daily to save people you've never even met. And while it is one of the most kind and selfless acts and one of the hardest profession's on the planet, I don't want my little girl to be second on anyone's list. And it sounds like your job is first and she is second."

Chloe pushed her chair back from the table and stood. She balled up her napkin and tossed it on her plate. "Excuse me" She said sadly as she retreated from the table.

"Mr. Beale" Beca spoke confidently. "I understand exactly what you're saying. My father was a firefighter and he died on the job. He was there one day and he was gone the next. So I understand your concern for your daughter and honestly" She paused, "I share your concerns. I can't believe she wants to be with me. I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be with someone like Chloe. I've tried to push her away so many times but each time we find our way back to each other. And you're absolutely correct, she deserves the world and I want more than anything to be the one who gives that to her because she makes me happier than I've ever been in my life. But I love my job. I'm good at it. It's my families business and I will fight as hard as I can to come home to her every day. I can promise you that." Beca looked between the two Beale's when a sudden realization washed over her. "I love my job. I don't know how to do anything else. But it's a job. It's not everything." Beca smiled. "Chloe is everything."

* * *

 **AN: I promise to get the next chapter up Sunday if I can but Hurricane Harvey is forecasted to be headed my way. Yikes... Anyway, leave me your comments. I seriously love them.**


	43. Chapter 42

Beca slid open the glass door after excusing herself from the dining room table. She'd found Chloe standing in the backyard looking at the pool. The reflection of the pool lights and the moon sent different shades of blue lines dancing over the concrete.

Chloe felt her presence before she saw her. "I'm sorry for my dad." Chloe apologized immediately. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest watching the reflections and shapes in the water.

Beca placed a firm kiss to Chloe's temple. "Don't be" She whispered to the redhead. "He has every right to be concerned. It would be weird if he wasn't."

Chloe's shoulders slumped. "Please don't tell me we are going to have this fight again." She said shaking her head slightly.

"No." Beca confirmed as she moved behind Chloe. She wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist and pulled her back to her front. "I'm not here to fight you." Beca said softly. Chloe unwrapped her arms from around her chest and slid them over Beca's. "I just wanted to check on you. Make sure you were okay."

A couple of minutes passed before Chloe spoke. "He always treats me like a baby."

Beca turned her head to place a comforting kiss to Chloe's neck before retuning her chin to the redhead's shoulder. "I think he treats you like his daughter. And that's okay babe. He should be asking me questions like that. I would." Beca admitted.

"You would what?" Chloe asked quickly.

"I would" Beca hesitated as she realized what she just said. What she was thinking. "Ask those kinds of questions to the person my daughter brought home." She drew out slowly.

"You would?" Chloe asked trying to fight a smile.

"Um. Yeah. Especially if they had a job like mine." Beca replied.

"I see" Chloe rocked backwards into Beca slightly.

"I mean, if they were like a banker or something I probably wouldn't be concerned." Beca added.

"Being a banker may not be dangerous but they can be bad people too Becs. They could steal from their clients. Commit all kinds of federal crimes. Endanger their families by getting mixed up with the wrong people." Chloe argued with a smile.

Beca rolled her eyes. "Fine. How about a" Beca tried to think of the most non dangerous job in the world, "a librarian?" She closed her eyes tight at how silly that sounded.

"I always thought that being a librarian was like a cover for someone who was really a spy" Chloe said happily. She loved the way Beca could change her mood in a matter of seconds. "I mean have you ever met a librarian? Like in real life?"

"Really? A librarian spy?" Beca asked with an eye roll. She knew Chloe was teasing and she was willing to go along with it if it made Chloe smile.

"Mhhmm" Chloe mumbled. Comfortable silence filled the space around them.

"I love you." Chloe whispered as she let her body lean back into Beca's.

Beca squeezed her a little tighter. "I love you too."

Allie Beale stood at the glass door looking at her daughter and Beca. She felt George move to stand beside her.

"I should go apologize to her." He said as he watched Chloe turn in Beca's arms. "To both of them."

"Let them be" Allie whispered as Chloe tucked her head into the crook of Beca's neck. She watched the way Beca held her daughter. She had her arms wrapped around Chloe's back in a firm hold but not squeezing the life out of her. "That's all that should matter to you." She said to her husband. "That girl loves her and I've never heard Chloe speak of anyone like this. Even Jake and if I recall you loved that guy. The guy who ended up cheating on her and breaking her heart." Allie said with a raised eyebrow.

George Beale looked at the couple who stood embracing each other. He only grunted in response to his wife.

"From what I understand from Chloe, what Beca does is who she is, and I for one am thrilled that someone so dedicated and brave and strong and passionate is in love with our daughter." Allie smiled at the couple who began to pull apart. Chloe's eyes made contact with hers and she gave her daughter a slight nod. "Beca is a good kid and she'll do right by Chloe. I can see it in her eyes."

Georgie turned to watch his wife walk away leaving him alone at the glass door. He knew he needed to apologize to Chloe and Beca but he didn't want to ruin their moment. He felt Chloe's eyes on him and turned back. "I'm sorry" he mouthed to her with a gentle smile. A smile that his daughter returned to him. That was enough for now.

 **XxXxXx**

"Welcome back Mitchell" Chief Smith greeted upon entering the dining room.

She looked up to him, "Thank you sir." There was a look in his eyes that Beca hadn't seen before and she couldn't exactly place it. Maybe it was sadness. Guilt. She didn't know.

"I wanted to wait until everyone was back under one roof to talk to you guys." He began. He shoved his hands in his pockets nervously as he looked at each one of his firefighters. "First and foremost, I wanted to apologize to each and every one of you. My son" His words faltered as he said those two words for the first time out loud, "has caused so much death and so much pain to the members of this community but also to the members of this house."

Beca sat expressionless as he continued.

"And I have to accept that I was partially responsible for his actions. I don't know" Chief Smith paused as he searched for the words, "I wish I was a better father to him. I wish I could go back."

Beca felt Jesse's eyes on her from across the table. She chanced a look into his brown eyes. They seemed to be begging her to give Chief Smith some sort of relief from his guilt but she was unwilling. She returned her glare back to the front of the room.

"I'm stepping down as Chief." He said plainly. "I can't lead you all anymore. Not when I failed so terribly."

Mumbles could be heard making their way around the table as the firefighters whispered to their neighbors after his announcement.

Beca and Chief Smith maintained their eye contact as the older man silently apologized for his son. For the death of her mother. For failing to do as his best friend requested of him all those years ago. Beca stood from the table and made her way out of the room and into the truck bay.

Chloe sat across from Aubrey in the hospital cafeteria picking through her green salad.

"And? Then what happened?" Aubrey asked again.

Chloe shrugged. "Not much. I had a long talk with my dad before we left and got a better understanding of where he was coming from. Everything's fine." Chloe summarized.

"And they liked Beca?" Aubrey asked.

"My mom loves her." Chloe said with a smile. "My dad." She stopped moving her fork through the pieces of lettuce. "I think he likes her but you know how dads are. Especially mine. He's" she paused, "protective." She chose the word carefully.

"Okay well, all that is good right? They like the girlfriend. One less thing to worry about?" Aubrey questioned. She hadn't seen her best friend since she and Beca had returned from their trip to Atlanta last week.

"Yeah, I guess." Chloe said softly.

"Then what's wrong?" Aubrey asked. "You should be happy that your parents like the person you love."

"I am" Chloe quickly answered, "It's not that. Beca's great."

"Then what Chlo?" Aubrey asked.

"I just thought I'd have a job by now or at least the prospect of one." Chloe answered.

"Okay" Aubrey swallowed and reached for her water bottle. "What have you been doing? Sending applications to schools?"

Chloe shrugged. "Not really."

"How do you expect to get a job if you don't apply for one Chlo?" Aubrey asked with a laugh.

Chloe saw her phone screen light up with a message from Beca. She sat her fork down on the table and picked up the device, opening the message. Her eyes widened as she read, "Chief Smith is leaving the house."

"Really?" Aubrey asked as she sat forward.

Chloe turned the phone around and let Aubrey read the message for herself. Chloe brought the phone back around to face her. Her thumbs flew across the keypad as she responded, asking why even though she already had a good idea and asking how Beca felt about that. She sat the phone back on the table as she waited for her girlfriend's response.

"Think Beca will go for the job?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe's head shot up. She didn't think of that. "I" she stumbled, "I don't know."

Aubrey shrugged and returned back to her lunch. "Okay, back to you. What do you want to do?"

"I'm not really sure. Paint maybe?" She answered. Truth was, she'd been thinking a lot about it. "Do you think I could make it? Chloe looked up to Aubrey with nervous eyes, "As an artist?"

Aubrey smiled. "I do." It was the truth. "You're incredibly talented Chlo."

Chloe smiled and reached for her fork just as her phone screen lit up again. Instead of picking it up she leaned over the device. She read the request and then looked back to her best friend. "Beca wants to meet for coffee."

"That's cool" Aubrey replied as she looked at the large clock on the wall. "I have to get back anyway."

"You sure?" Chloe asked feeling a twinge of guilt.

"100 percent." Aubrey answered as she stood. "But call me tonight okay. I get off at 7 and I miss you."

Chloe stood from the table and crossed the short distance between her and the blonde. She pulled her friend in and hugged her tightly. "I miss you too Bree but I'll be home tonight." Chloe smiled. "If I still have a room there?" She asked teasingly.

"Of course you do Chloe" Aubrey answered with a laugh. "I'll see you tonight."

Chloe grabbed her bag and phone after watching Aubrey leave the lunch room and headed out to her car to meet Beca. A short 15 minutes later she was walking up to the Lieutenant who sat at a table outside their favorite coffee shot a few blocks from the station.

"Hey baby" Chloe smiled. She bent over and greeted Beca with a quick kiss.

"Hi. You look nice." Beca smiled.

Chloe rolled her eyes. Her jeans, pumas, and simple grey t shirt hardly constituted nice. "What's up?"

Beca sighed. "Just wanted to get away from the house."

"Yeah" Chloe said simply waiting for Beca to elaborate.

"I don't know what he wants me to say." Beca supplied a little angrily. "Does he want me to ask him to stay? Does he want me to tell him I forgive him?"

"Do you?" Chloe asked quickly. "To either?"

Beca shrugged. "Don't know." Was her honest answer. "To both."

Chloe nodded. She could see the tension in Beca's face so she decided to change the subject for a little bit. "I'm going to stay at home with Bree tonight."

"Oh." Beca said quickly.

Chloe could see the worry in her face. "Just for tonight. I don't like staying at your apartment when you're not there."

Beca nodded trying to keep her face from falling. Disappointment washing over her.

"What?" Chloe asked softly.

"Nothing." Beca looked around to avoid looking into Chloe's eyes. "I should be getting back."

"Beca. Seriously?" Chloe asked quickly.

"Yeah"

"I just got here Becs. I left lunch with Bree to come here and you're gonna leave now? After like 2 minutes?" Chloe asked.

Beca stood from the table. "Yeah. Sorry. I got to get back."

"Beca" Chloe called out as the firefighter began to walk away.

Beca stopped and turned back to the redhead who slowly stood and walked towards her.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what I said but I didn't mean to upset you." Chloe said softly, asking for forgiveness with her bright blue eyes.

"You didn't" Beca answered quickly. "I'll see you." She said as she leant in and quickly kissed Chloe's cheek.

"Tomorrow right?" Chloe asked hopeful.

"Yeah. Tomorrow." Beca confirmed. She turned quickly and walked back towards the firehouse leaving Chloe standing wondering what happened.

* * *

 **AN: Okay, so. What a week here in H-Town. It's been one of the worst best weeks of my entire life. I've never been more proud to be a Texan and a Houstonian. I've seen some really horrible heartbreaking things and then two seconds later you see something that mends you're broken heart. It's been a crazy mix of emotions and it's been exhausting. But we are all trying to get back to normal regular lives as much as we possibly can...**

 **I know this chapter is short and there isn't much to it but I just sat down to write for the first time today and struggled to get going. I kind of felt like how I wrote Beca with her emotions a little all over the place. I'm going to get some good rest tonight and then try to my head back on straight to finish this in the next few days.**

 **Thanks for you all who were patient to me. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments. Inspiration would be great.**


	44. Chapter 43

"Are you supposed to be in here?" Jesse asked entering the room. He straddled a nearby flat bench and sat across from Beca.

She placed the bar back down on the rack of the military bench press machine and then sat up to look at her best friend.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Jesse asked pointing to her casted arm.

Beca raised her arm and inspected it as she shook her head. "Not really. It's a little hard to grasp the bar with this but it doesn't hurt." She replied.

"It's 3 in the morning, what are you doing in here?" Jesse asked through a yawn.

Beca looked around sarcastically. It was obvious what she was doing in there. She knew he wasn't asking the question in its purest form but decided to tease him anyway. "Doing my laundry obviously" She said sarcastically.

Jesse rolled his eyes just the way Beca would if their roles were reversed. "I mean, why are you in here and not asleep? What's wrong with you?" He asked specifically.

Beca shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

"Are you still having bad dreams?" He asked quietly.

Beca leaned back on the bench and reached up lifting the bar off the pegs and slowly lowering it down to her chest and then up quickly. "No" She answered in between repetitions. She lied but that wasn't the reason she was in there tonight.

Jesse watched as Beca lifted the weights until she struggled to extend her arms enough to rack the weights again. Her chest heaved quickly as she tried to catch her breath.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked as she laid reclined on the bench.

"Not with you I don't" Beca answered honestly.

"Why?" Jesse asked quickly.

"Because I don't want you blabbing your mouth to your girlfriend who will turn around and blab her mouth to my girlfriend." Beca answered quickly as her breathing began to slow.

"Ouch" Jesse replied as a hand flew over his heart in offence. "Bros before hoes Becs."

Beca reached up for the bar determined to complete one more set until she couldn't lift her arms anymore. "Promise?" She grunted as she lifted the bar from its place.

"Promise" Jesse replied.

"Chloe's at her house tonight." Beca said simply as if Jesse would know what that meant.

He didn't. "Okay. And?" He asked.

"She said" Beca breathed hard through her mouth as she continued lifting the weight. She could feel the tightness and strain in her abdominal muscles as her arms began to become fatigued. "She didn't like staying at my apartment when I'm not there" Beca rushed out quickly. The bar clanked loudly as she forced it back into its resting place. She dropped her arms to the sides letting them hand down towards the floor.

Jesse still wasn't catching on so he just sat quietly hoping she would explain as he yawned again.

"I was going to ask her to move in with me." Beca said quietly. "But she doesn't like to be there."

Jesse's ears perked up at the news. "No" He argued quickly. "She doesn't like to be there when you're not there. That's not the same thing."

Beca sat up from the bench so she could see him. "I'm not there a lot Jess."

 **XxXxXx**

"Good morning" Aubrey said as Chloe rounded the hallway and entered the kitchen. "Coffee?" She asked.

"Yes. Please." Chloe said quickly.

"On the phone all night?" Aubrey asked as she turned behind her to pull another mug from the cabinet.

"No." Chloe answered. "Why?"

"It looks like you barely slept." Aubrey said pouring the hot liquid into the mug.

Chloe shook her head as she retrieved the cream from the fridge. "I tried to call her a couple of times but she didn't answer." She shrugged. "I couldn't sleep after that."

Aubrey watched her best friend closely. She was moping. "Want me to ask Jesse?" Aubrey offered. "Chances are if something is wrong with her she'll talk to him about it, right?"

"I guess she would" Chloe answered as she sipped from her coffee. "But I don't want to put him in the middle of whatever is going on between us. That's not fair to him."

"If you're sure" Aubrey offered again. "But it wouldn't be putting him in the middle. If he happens to have some insight."

Chloe sipped her coffee as she thought about it. It was driving her crazy. She just wanted to know what prompted the quick switch in Beca yesterday. "No. Thanks though." Chloe smiled sadly.

"Suit yourself." Aubrey said as she placed her mug in the sink. "You gonna be home tonight?" She asked as she walked past Chloe and towards her room to get ready for work.

"Not planning on it but I guess we will see how it goes." Chloe answered as Aubrey breezed by her.

"Okay, well Jesse will be here tonight." Aubrey smiled as she entered her room.

 **XxXxXx**

"You heading out soon?" Jesse asked leaning into Beca's room.

"Yep" Beca answered as she threw her clothes into her bag.

"Talk to Chloe?" Jesse asked.

Beca shook her head.

Jesse sighed. He'd seen her pull away like this before. "I'm telling you this is just a misunderstanding Becs." He sat down on her bed and reached for the cell phone that was laying on her pillow. He turned it over to see the notifications. "9 missed calls from Chloe." He read aloud. "You're going to ruin this." He turned towards his best friend who stood with her back to him.

Beca shrugged.

"Mitchell" Bumper's voice from the hallway broke up their talk. "Chief asked for you before you go."

Beca looked at the man and acknowledged him with a nod. She'd been waiting for this. She hadn't spoken to him since everything happened. She knew it was just a matter of time.

"Okay well. I'm heading to Bree's. I'll see you tomorrow? The beach?" Jesse said as he stood up from her bunk.

"Yeah" Beca sighed. "Regular time."

Jesse walked to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Beca turned her head to meet his eyes. "Call her" Jesse said as he handed Beca her phone. "See ya B." He said as he left her room.

Beca looked at the device in her hand. She missed Chloe. She wanted to talk to her. Beca shook her head at herself, disgusted with herself for ignoring the redhead. She sat on the edge of her bed and pressed the call button next to Chloe's name. It only rang a couple of times before the call was answered.

"Hey" Chloe's voice sounded vulnerable.

"Hi" Beca whispered. She wasn't sure if it was loud enough for Chloe to hear her.

"Please talk to me Beca." Chloe pleaded. "Tell me what's wrong. Please baby."

"I'm sorry for yesterday." Beca apologized.

"What happened?" Chloe asked.

"I don't really want to talk about it on the phone Chlo." Beca said quickly. "That's not why I called."

"Why did you call?" Chloe's voice was small.

"Chief wants to see me." Beca revealed.

"Do you know what about?" Chloe asked.

"No. And I don't really care." Beca answered.

"So" Chloe sat in her room with her paint brush in her hands as she listened to Beca and looked at the canvas in front of her. "What if you don't go? What if you just leave?" Chloe asked. "Isn't your shift almost over?" She asked glancing at the clock seeing it reading almost 6pm.

A smirk appeared on Beca's face. "Are you trying to get me to disobey an order Beale?" She asked playfully.

Chloe relaxed at the tone of Beca's voice. It was light and playful. Something she hadn't heard in over 24 hours. "Maybe." Chloe teased back. "What would happen to you if you did obey an order?"

"I guess I could be punished." Beca replied honestly.

"I see" Chloe's voice was suddenly husky. "And what if I ordered you to do something? And you didn't do it? Could I punish you?"

Beca felt the heat rising in her neck. There was no way she was going to Chief's office. She only had one destination in mind and it was to where ever Chloe was. "Yes Ma'am" Beca said softly.

"Oh my God, I love it when you say that." Chloe said her voice dripping with seduction. "Come home" Chloe begged.

The moment was gone for Beca as soon as Chloe said home. They didn't have a home. Chloe had a house with Aubrey and Beca had an apartment. She must have gotten lost in her thoughts for too long. "Babe?" Chloe called. "Are you still there?" She asked.

"Yeah" Beca mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked.

"Nothing." Beca said quickly. "Hey" She cleared her throat and changed the subject quickly, "I think I'm just gonna leave. I don't want to deal with him right now."

"Oh, okay" Chloe said quickly. "Want me to meet you to get something to eat?" She asked.

"Um" Beca paused. She wanted to see Chloe, she did but she didn't want to have an awkward conversation in a restaurant. "Can you just meet me at my apartment?" Beca asked.

Chloe wasn't sure but she found herself feeling surprised by the question. "Yeah of course." She answered as a feeling of dread washed over her, "is everything okay with us?" She asked timidly.

Beca breathed, "Yeah, of course. But I do need to talk to you about something." Beca admitted. "Meet you at the apartment okay. Like 30 minutes?"

Chloe swallowed hard. She didn't have a good feeling. "Okay." She heard Beca whisper bye before the line went dead.

It took her 43 minutes to get to Beca's apartment. After their phone call she changed her clothes several times and cleaned up her room. She drove slower than usual and slowed down at the yellow lights instead of pressing on the gas. She was stalling. Chloe pulled her car into the parking lot next to Beca's jeep. She looked up at the balcony to see Beca standing over the railing looking down at her. She was still in her uniform and had a beer in her hands. Chloe got out of the car and made her way up the steps. She rounded the corner and gave a small waive to the firefighter who smiled in response. Once she was in front of Beca she dropped her head but Beca's hand under her chin raised it back up. "Why do you look so sad?" Beca asked.

"I'm scared." Chloe admitted. Her eyes already glossing over.

"I know. That's why I waited out here." Beca gave her a small smile. "You're safe. I promise."

Chloe clenched her jaw and nodded slightly. Leave it to Beca to make her feel loved and safe just before shattering her heart into a million pieces. Chloe braced herself for the next words that were about to come out of Beca's mouth.

"I'm so in love with you." Beca whispered softly looking into her eyes.

Chloe's eyes widened. She wasn't expecting that. What kind of a break up started with those words? "Then why are you breaking up with me?" Chloe asked sadly.

Beca dropped her hand quickly. "What?" She asked loudly. "I'm not breaking up with you."

"You're not?" Chloe asked just as loudly.

Beca grabbed Chloe by the arm and pulled her into her apartment and closed the door. "Why would you think that?"

Chloe's mind was jumbled. "I don't know, because you were so mad at me yesterday and I don't know why. And you ignored all my calls and you seem so upset and you didn't want to meet me in public so you obviously don't want to cause a scene." Chloe rambled.

"Stop" Beca said softly but Chloe continued to talk.

"I don't know what I did wrong yesterday but I'm so sorry. I love you too and I don't want to break up." Chloe continued.

"Stop" Beca said a little louder but Chloe didn't stop.

"I'm just so confused. One minute we were fine and then then next you're literally gone. And then we're kind of flirty on the phone and then you're all serious and waiting for me outside and something is obviously bothering you so what am I supposed to think?" Chloe ranted.

"Stop. Chloe. Please" Beca yelled.

Chloe shut her mouth quickly and stood wide eyed in front of the firefighter.

"Okay." Beca breathed deeply. "So much is going on." She said to herself but loud enough for Chloe to hear. She had decided not to mention anything to Chloe about yesterday and wanting to move in together. She had decided to just let it go but it was painfully obvious now that she had to tell Chloe because the redhead was freaking out. "Yesterday."

Chloe nodded as she looked at Beca intently.

"When you said you were going to stay at Aubrey's." Beca winced as she referred to the house as the blondes. It was Chloe's house too. "Well, you're house."

Chloe nodded impatiently.

"I just got a little upset because you said you didn't like staying here." Beca finally admitted.

"No" Chloe cut her off quickly. "I love staying here. With you. I don't like it when I'm here by myself." She corrected.

"Why?" Beca asked the question she should have asked yesterday.

"I don't know" Chloe shrugged. "Because it's your apartment?" She said questioning her own feelings. "None of my stuff is here. I can paint at my house and"

"You could paint here." Beca replied quickly and then frowned. She didn't want to turn this into a fight.

"Where babe?" Chloe asked in a small voice.

Beca looked around. Chloe had a point. She knew Chloe painted in her room at home and it took up most of the space in the small room. She couldn't set that up in Beca's bedroom.

"And I just have bad feelings being here without you." Chloe admitted softly. "From what happened before."

Beca closed her eyes. She knew Chloe felt uneasy at the apartment alone after Luke had grabbed her but she thought it had passed.

"I feel safe when I'm with you but when you're not here, I just keep looking over my shoulder. It's like he stole my security that day. I'm sorry but it just freaks me out to be here alone."

"I thought" Beca sighed, "I thought you didn't want to be here."

"Of course I want to be here Beca." Chloe argued. "I want to be with you."

"I wanted to ask you to move in with me." Beca admitted. "Yesterday at the coffee shop."

Chloe's face lit up momentarily and then fell just as quickly as she realized what was going on and why Beca was so upset suddenly.

"And then you said you didn't want to be here and I guess I chose to ignore the other part." Beca said dropping her head. "I thought you weren't as serious about us as I am."

"What?" Chloe couldn't believe what Beca just said. "Of course I'm serious. I took you home to meet my parents." Chloe laughed. "I'm as serious about us as I've ever been about anything. About anyone."

Beca was relieved to hear those words from the redhead. She reached forward and pulled Chloe into her. She wrapped her arms around the woman tightly. "I'm sorry for how I acted."

"You want me to move in here with you?" Chloe asked.

"No" Beca said quickly. She felt Chloe release her from her hug and push her away.

"Not anymore." Beca smiled.

"Oh. Okay." Chloe nodded slowly.

"But maybe we could find a new apartment?" Beca asked looking into Chloe's bright blue eyes. "One that we both like. One that has a room for your art supplies? And all your stuff. One that can be ours?" Beca asked hopefully.

A tear fell from Chloe's eye as she quickly nodded. "I'd really love that."

 **XxXxXx**

 **18 MONTHS LATER …**

"Hurry the fuck up Jesse." Beca said impatiently from the passenger seat. "We are going to be late."

"Calm down Beca. We have time." Jesse argued. "We wouldn't be cutting it this close if you hadn't taken your sweet ass time back at the house. What did Chief want anyway?"

"Nothing. Just checking in on me. Like he does every month since he transferred." Beca answered.

"You guys still okay?" Jesse asked. He knew they'd come a long way in the last year.

"Yeah. We're okay." Beca answered. She looked down to her hands and opened the small black box and admired the ring. She snapped it shut and took a deep breath.

Jesse could see her freaking out from the corner of his eye. "Have you seen any of the pieces Chloe's showing tonight?" He asked trying to take her mind off the ring.

"No" Beca said looking out the window. "She wouldn't allow me to see anything. Said she wanted me to see it with everyone else." Beca answered as the lights of downtown Los Angeles flew by her window. "I don't even think Aubrey's seen it." Beca added.

"She hasn't" Jesse confirmed. "But I'm sure it's going to be amazing. Chloe's worked so hard for this."

Beca smiled and nodded. She was extremely proud of her girlfriend and she couldn't wait to ask the artist to spend the rest of her life with her. She lost herself in her thoughts until she felt the car slow.

"Here we are" Jesse said as he pulled into the packed parking lot in the front of the West LA Arts Center. He looked over to his best friend who was a rare shade of green. "Okay, calm down." He said putting the car in park quickly and turning on all the A/C vents and pointing them in her direction. "Don't freak out." He rushed, "more than you already are." He mumbled.

Beca tugged at the collar of her shirt and fanned a hand in front of her face. "I can't." She said, "Do it."

"Yes you can." Jesse said softly as he put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "But you don't have too. If you're not ready, you don't have to do it." He offered her.

His words seemed to relax her. She began to breathe a little easier and some of the color was returning to her face. "You're right." She said to herself. "Maybe I won't?" She asked him with big nervous eyes.

"Then don't" He whispered calmly. "You can do it whenever you're ready."

Beca nodded quickly. She looked down at the box in her hand. "Not tonight" She whispered. She reached forward for the glove box and dropped the box in and shut the door. She immediately felt better once it was out sight.

Jesse watched her carefully as she starred at the glove box. He gave her a minute to relax. "You ready?" He asked.

She turned her head slowly to meet his eyes and big goofy grin. "Yeah" She answered.

"Let's go" He said happily.

Beca reached for the glove box quickly. She pulled the box out and opened it up. Jesse watched her fingers shake as she reached for the diamond ring pulling it from its velvet place holder. She pinched the box shut with her fingers and placed it back in the glove box with one hand and deposited the ring in the pocket of her pants with the other hand. "Let's go" She turned to see his curious look. "What? We're in the city. This cost me a fortune, I'm not leaving it in here." She shrugged.

He watched Beca get out of the car and begin to make her way towards the doors of the building. He quickly caught up with her as they walked through the front lobby and were met by a woman with a clip board. "Hello. May I have you're names?" She asked politely.

"Beca Mitchell and Jesse Swanson." Beca answered for the both of them.

The woman scanned her list and looked up with a welcoming smile. "Yes. Welcome. You're guests of the artist." She said, "Miss. Beale is extremely busy but feel free to mingle. I'm sure you will run into her at some point this evening. Enjoy" She said as she pulled away a purple velvet rope and ushered them in.

They began to walk around following the flow of traffic. "Wow" Jesse said as they got a clear view of the first painting. "Chloe did this?" He asked shocked. He didn't know she had that kind of talent. They stood looking at the four panels. Beca knew that the paintings would most likely be dark. She knew Chloe used painting as an outlet to work through the trauma. She knew it may be hard to see but this one was just beautiful. It captured everything that mesmerized Beca. They'd discussed it in length after Beca's therapy sessions. She would come home and talk to Chloe about it like her therapist suggested. Her fascination with something so deadly and so beautiful at the same time. This piece was exactly as Beca had described to her once. The panels showed simple flames, each with their own hue, the stages of fire that Beca had explained to Chloe one evening. The blues, yellows, orange and red colors each had their own panel. Chloe had painted it perfectly. Standing there looking at it relaxed Beca. She didn't have to struggle to describe it anymore. She didn't have to try and explain herself. Chloe understood. She'd created it for Beca. Just like Beca told her.

"Hey Baby" Aubrey's voice said happily from the side. "When did you guys get here?" She asked as she hugged Jesse and greeted him with a kiss.

"Not long ago." He said turning back to the painting. "This is amazing." He pointed at the picture.

"Where's Chloe?" Beca asked without pealing her eyes from the display.

"She's over there." Aubrey pointed in a general direction. Beca followed her finger but couldn't see the redhead. "She's in high demand. This one's already sold." Aubrey smiled. She was so proud of her best friend.

"Really?" Beca asked with a smile.

"Yeah. 60 grand" Aubrey giggled.

"Shit" Jesse said running a hand through his short hair. He bumped Beca's shoulder, "Looks like you got a sugar momma." He teased.

Aubrey rolled her eyes and linked her hand with his. "Come on. Let's go look at the others."

Beca shoved her hands in her pockets as she followed Aubrey and Jesse around the exhibits. She felt the sharp edge of the diamond dig into her finger reminding her it was there.

"Damn B. You're hot" Jesse said a little too loudly for Beca's liking. She looked at the photography on the wall. Her eyes rolled instinctively at the whistling coming from her best friend. She'd seen the photograph before but when Chloe asked her if she could show it, Beca thought she was kidding. Now it was at least three feet tall and hanging on the wall for everyone to see. Beca tried to hide her blush as the sight of her standing under the faucet of their shower. Her arms stretched out in front of her pressed against the wall, in the perfect place to hide most of her breasts. Water was dripping from her head as she looked down. Steam was rising from her still warm skin and her arm and ab muscles were prominent in the photo that cut off about mid-thigh. It was a simple black and white but her skin contrasted well with the bright white tile of their bathroom. She remembered the day Chloe snuck up on her and took the photo. She'd had a particularly hard training day. They'd been in the box all day working on their skills right up until the end of her shift. She was so hot and tired she grabbed her things and went straight to her and Chloe's new apartment to shower and rest. She'd heard the clicking of the camera as Chloe snapped the photo and her head shot up quickly. The smile and look on Chloe's face was so cute she wasn't even mad. She waited until the redhead put the camera down until she pulled her into the shower with her.

Beca felt arms loop through hers and wrap around her waist. "Hi" She felt Chloe's breath on her ear. She smiled and turned her head enough to kiss the lips that were waiting for her. "Hi" Beca whispered.

"Has this one sold?" Jesse teased.

"It's not for sale" Chloe winked as she rounded Beca and stood next to her looking at the photograph.

"This is amazing baby" Beca said with a proud smile. "Everything. All of them are amazing. I'm so proud of you."

Chloe leaned forward and met their lips again. This time softer. She pulled back just enough to thank the firefighter.

"Come on you guys" Aubrey said breaking them apart. "Let's go see the rest of my talented best friends work."

They agreed and followed the blonde through the room. They looked at all the paintings and photographs. Most of them sold already, some still for sale. Chloe was gracious to everyone who wanted a moment of her time to congratulate her and praise her work. She introduced Beca to each and every person and she felt Beca squeeze her hand throughout the night when she felt herself getting nervous by all the questions she'd been asked.

The night was finally over when Beca finally found Chloe again talking to the Center Director. She waited patiently for their conversation to end. She was tired. She'd been on shift for three days and she was ready to take her girlfriend home but she waited silently as Chloe finished her business. This was her night after all. She smiled when Chloe glanced at her with a wink before returning to the discussion she was currently in. She watched as Chloe spoke animatedly, her hands flying through the air as she said something that made the older woman laugh.

Beca shoved her hands back in her pockets as she waited patiently. She looked around to see that there were only a few people left. Mostly waiters and other workers who had served hors d'oeuvres and beverages to the art enthusiast. Some people stood in front of paintings and portraits locked in serious discussions about what the artist must have been feeling when they created the piece. Beca's eyes locked back onto Chloe who was smiling at the woman she was speaking to. She was the masterpiece. They were surrounded by beautiful art but the most beautiful thing in the whole room was the redhead 40 feet away from her.

"I want to marry you." Beca said loudly. She didn't regret the words that came out of nowhere as she stood looking at Chloe whose eyes were wide with shock as she glanced from Beca around the room at everyone who stopped what they were doing and were now looking intently at Beca who didn't seem to care that she suddenly was the center of attention. The brunette took a few steps forward. "I do" She shook her head at herself with a large smile on her face. "I want to marry you." She repeated.

Chloe turned her whole body as Beca slowly approached her. She was speechless.

"I'll admit, I had a moment." Beca smirked. She could feel Jesse's eyes on her. "Earlier. I freaked out a little bit but now I can't seem to remember why." Her smile was back.

"Beca" Chloe whispered but it wasn't loud enough for anyone to hear.

"You are" Beca said as she took several more slow steps towards the redhead, "the best thing that has ever happened to me. You're so talented" Beca said as she looked around the walls that showcased Chloe's talents. "You're smart, you're funny, you're so beautiful that it isn't fair to everyone else in this room." Beca was close enough that she could see the glistening of Chloe's eyes. "You and I have been through so much and I couldn't have gotten through any of it without you. Looking at you just now, I couldn't remember any reason that I shouldn't do whatever I had to do to make you agree to marry me."

Chloe watched as Beca pulled her hand out of her pocket. She held a ring between her index finger and her thumb. She swallowed hard as the brunette stopped in front of her. She couldn't remember if they were the only ones in the room. All she could see was Beca.

"I didn't see you coming and I fought so hard to keep you away." Beca said with a little laugh that Chloe reciprocated. "But I'm so glad that you didn't walk away. I'm so glad that you fought for me." Beca smiled. Her right hand reached out and grabbed Chloe's left. She pulled her hand up and placed a gentle kiss on Chloe's knuckles. "I don't want to spend another day with asking you to be my wife. I don't want to spend another moment without you knowing that you are the love of my life and I want nothing more than to fight for you, every day for the rest of our lives. I love you so much" Beca's voice cracked slightly. "Will you marry me?" She asked softly. Her eyes were filled with hope and vulnerability.

Chloe nodded. "Yes." She whispered.

Beca pulled her forward quickly. Chloe's arms wrapped around Beca's neck as Beca wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist picking her up off her feet slightly. She felt Chloe's hands on her face and her lips on hers. She felt the tears that were coming out of Chloe's eyes run down her cheeks as she kissed the love of her life. She put Chloe back down and pushed her away far enough to grab her left hand and slide the ring on her finger. She looked at it on Chloe's finger and then she looked up to see Chloe looking down at the ring and then back up at her. "It's perfect" Chloe whispered.

Beca closed the distance between them once more as she took Chloe's red lips between hers. Chloe pulled back from the kiss and wrapped her arms around Beca tightly. She felt the brunette firefighter take a deep breath and felt her body relax as she held her. "Let's go home" Chloe whispered.

She felt Beca nod and pull away from the embrace. Chloe linked their hands and let Beca lead her out of the exhibit. It was the best night and the beginning of the rest of her life.

-END

* * *

 **AN: That's all folks. Thanks so much for taking this journey with me an allowing me to play in this universe. I had so much fun. Hope you did too.**


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